Words matter. These are the best Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi Quotes, and they’re great for sharing with your friends.
I was no stranger to risk myself, having made documentaries in dangerous conditions in Kosovo, Afghanistan, and Africa.
I always wonder about the word ‘intense.’ ‘Intense’ is used to describe women. Guys are intense, but they don’t get described that way.
The top climbers in the world had attempted this climb and couldn’t do it. That history is what makes Meru special.
I was fortunate to come from a family that supported my dreams.
Professionally, I made my first film at 20 in a war zone in Kosovo.
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.
‘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.
Documentaries require an enormous amount of grit and empathy – and that is something women are incredibly strong at.
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.
In the past, I think my films that focused on African subjects struggled in the marketplace because of their subject matter.
I grew up in New York City, but the rest of the world was a very big part of my upbringing.
I wish I could say I’ve been following Youssou N’Dour all my life. I haven’t.
As a director, people are trusting you with their lives, with their stories.
Literature has guided me through my whole life.
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.
Climbing is an understated culture.
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.
