Professionally, I made my first film at 20 in a war zone in Kosovo.
Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi
In the past, I think my films that focused on African subjects struggled in the marketplace because of their subject matter.
Growing up biracial and speaking four languages - French, Chinese, Portuguese, and English - gave me a different lens. I was always very acutely aware of coming from a different perspective. I think that definitely contributed to what I chose to do with my life.
The mission of professional mountain climbers is almost impossibly difficult by design: Their very livelihood is based on achieving the unprecedented. Their expeditions are complicated, exhausting, often life-threatening. Risk is the fuel that keeps them going.
Parenthood has made me more cautious.
I was no stranger to risk myself, having made documentaries in dangerous conditions in Kosovo, Afghanistan, and Africa.
I've always sought to give opportunities to women, to people who come from a different background, to add diversity to the mix - in that I think it makes our work better.
I truly believe our work is an extension of who we are, and I constantly strive to push myself and my teams.
As a documentary filmmaker, 'Meru' was an irresistible challenge. You can spend years searching for the right story, but this one had all the elements: the obstacles, the characters, and the drama.
The cinematography and the conditions in which 'Meru' was filmed drew me to the project. It's remarkable to think that everything in the film is real; these three men set out to attempt this impossible climb and to film it at the same time.
I joined 'Meru' midstream after my co-director Jimmy Chin had already filmed the 2008 and 2011 climbs.
At its heart, 'Meru' is a personal story.
My parents are both immigrants, and we traveled a lot.
I grew up in New York City, but the rest of the world was a very big part of my upbringing.
I went to Princeton to major in comparative literature. I never went to film school, but I studied storytelling across mediums - poems, literature, film, and journalism.
The top climbers in the world had attempted this climb and couldn't do it. That history is what makes Meru special.
That's what happens in feature docs. The more time you spend, the more nuance emerges, the more a story evolves - but it's different than fiction, where you can reshoot something.
I wish I could say I've been following Youssou N'Dour all my life. I haven't.
There have been some wonderful climbing films, but for the most part, they are reenactments.
You just hope that your kids find what they love to do and abide by the law and make good decisions. The best you can do is instill such values in them.
I was fortunate to come from a family that supported my dreams.
Climbing is an understated culture.
Documentaries require an enormous amount of grit and empathy - and that is something women are incredibly strong at.
'Free Solo' has got nothing to do with politics, so to speak, but why are audiences responding to it in the degree that they did? I think it's because we give people an opportunity to see someone. Also, he's able to connect when you don't think he could connect. It's a respite.
My father filmed me all the time as a kid, and that's how I was first exposed to a camera.
I think that documentaries are bound by journalistic ethics, and I think they have the pressure of trying to entertain someone for 90 minutes. It's hard, but it's the same question no matter what you're doing. Every film I've done, I've approached it the same way with the same level of respect.
Color is everything. It's another piece of the visual language to express what you're trying to say.
Literature has guided me through my whole life.
There are very few things of virtuosity or genius that you can actually witness.
I always wonder about the word 'intense.' 'Intense' is used to describe women. Guys are intense, but they don't get described that way.
As a director, people are trusting you with their lives, with their stories.
My love was always in books. I was just one of those avid readers. Films came later, but the stories were always present.
There's something about 'Free Solo' that I look at the craft around it, and I'm really proud.
