Week 10: Documentary Film

This week I watched the National Geographic documentary, Free Solo, on Disney+. This is the story about a guy named Alex Honnold who attempts to follow his dream of climbing El Capitan, a 3,200 foot rock, without ropes. This documentary is filmed by a group of Alex’s fellow rock climbers who help him to prepare for the extreme challenge. Along the journey we find out more about Alex’s friends and family, including his relationship with his girlfriend, Sanni, and many of his fellow rock climbers. Alex talks about how his life goals revolve around soloing (climbing without ropes) and that climbing is where he finds the most joy. He explains how he has turned his passion into his career, which I think is very inspiring. Along the journey there are hardships and roadblocks that prolong his climb. With the idea of death constantly in everyone’s head, the documentary is constantly full of stress. As I watched this I was always on the edge of my seat. I thought that his journey was so interesting and amazing. It was truly intriguing to watch the preparation and life behind this amazing feat. This film was so inspiring and I would highly recommend it. Honestly, a lot of the process he went through to reach his goal was surprising. I admire his determination and strength throughout the journey, and I hope that one day I can have as much passion as he has for his career.