The Ascent tells the story of Colorado Springs native and bilateral-amputee climber Mandy Horvath, who makes a historic attempt to reach the summit of Mt. Kilimanjaro on her hands. After losing both her legs at the age of 21, Mandy overcomes the shock and despodency that are natural for her circumstances and instead pushes herself to make the miraculous journey in her search for answers.
Aside from Horvath, the documentary also features Julius John White, Carel Verhoef, and Sally Grierson. The Ascent was directed by Edward Drake, Scott Veltri, and Francis Cronin — and Verti provides context for the clip, which can be seen on YouTube:
About midway through bilateral amputee Mandy Horvath’s attempt to climb Mount Kilimanjaro, her hands began to break down, forcing the team to question whether the expedition should continue. The tension of the day’s final stretch is driven by a haunting motif from Adam Peters, composer of the Oscar-winning doc Icarus.
Though Mandy is struggling, she is determined to make it through, reflecting on how many people in her life have doubted her abilities or even thought her crazy for her insistence. Though she makes it to her destination just before dark, she acknowledges that she must pay for the day’s success with a night of pain.
Not seen in the exclusive clip are the mysterious circumstances that led to the loss of Mandy’s legs. The Ascent also covers the investigation into what happened to her one night out with friends, several years earlier. Mandy blacked out amidst tensions escalating at the bar she was it, and the next thing she remembered, she was in an ambulance next to paramedics. As audiences cheer for her to complete her climb, they will also see her reckon with the questions that haunt her, and hope that her search for answers gives her the courage to trust the world again.
The Ascent premieres March 15 at SXSW, screening at 11am in the Zach Theater.
Other SXSW screenings include:
- March 16 at 11:30am in Alamo Lamar 6
- March 17 at 3:15pm in Alamo Lamar 7