Free Solo
Jimmy Chin, Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi
Hands are getting sweaty, breath is getting short: Alex Honnold is in the process of climbing the 1000-metres-high rock face of El Capitan. He seems at ease, in harmony with the mountain and free of any fear of falling. Any single mistake would have fatal consequences now. Ever since he dropped out of university at eighteen years old in order to entirely dedicate his life to climbing, Honnold travels from mountain to mountain in a camper. Alongside his girlfriend Sanni, he is always in search of the next challenge. This time, the challenge is freeclimbing El Capitan. His preparation consists of two-finger pull-ups. After a couple of setbacks, he starts his second attempt and finally he is managing the mountain.
Free Solo shows Alex Honnold´s attempt of freeclimbing 1000-metres-high El Capitan in Yosemite National Park – as the first person ever. A comparison of the mountain and Honnold seems impossible: he keeps falling during his secured rehearsal mountings. A popular climber calls his project the “moon landing of the climbers´ sphere”. This undertaking is accompanied by powerful and fascinating images of nature.
27 March 2019
20:45 h,
More information
Direction | Jimmy Chin, Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi |
Year | USA 2018 |
Duration | 97 min |
Language | English Original |
Production | Jimmy Chin, Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi, Shannon Dill, Evan Hayes |
Cast | Alex Honnold |
Camera | Jimmy Chin |


