Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi

Directing

Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi

Born January 1, 1979 · New York City, New York, USA (age 47)

Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi is an American documentary filmmaker. She was the director, along with her husband, Jimmy Chin, for the film Free Solo, which won the 2019 Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature. The film profiled Alex Honnold and his free solo climb of El Capitan in June 2017. Their first scripted film venture was Nyad, a biopic chronicling Diana Nyad's quest to be the first person t…

Known For

The RescueThe Rescue · 2021
The Rescue
8.02021
MovieDocumentaryDrama
The enthralling, against-all-odds story that transfixed the world in 2018: the daring rescue of twelve boys and their coach from deep inside a flooded cave in Northern Thailand.
Free SoloFree Solo · 2018
Free Solo
7.92018
MovieDocumentaryAdventure
Follow Alex Honnold as he attempts to become the first person to ever free solo climb Yosemite's 3,000 foot high El Capitan wall. With no ropes or safety gear, this would arguably be the greatest feat in rock climbing history.
Lost in the JungleLost in the Jungle · 2025
Lost in the Jungle
7.22025
MovieDocumentary
After a deadly plane crash strands four young siblings deep within the Colombian rainforest, a dramatic rescue mission unfolds, uniting Indigenous trackers and the military in a race against time. For the first time ever, this documentay offers the exclusive account of this incredible true story directly from the children themselves and the rescuers who scoured the Amazon rainforest for a grueling 40 days and nights to find them.
Love+WarLove+War · 2025
Love+War
7.12025
MovieDocumentaryWar
Pulitzer Prize-winning conflict photojournalist Lynsey Addario reflects on a career working in some of the world's most dangerous war zones, including the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Wild LifeWild Life · 2023
Wild Life
7.12023
MovieDocumentary
From Oscar-winning filmmakers Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin, "Wild Life" follows conservationist Kris Tompkins on an epic, decades-spanning love story as wild as the landscapes she dedicated her life to protecting. After falling in love in mid-life, Kris and the outdoorsman and entrepreneur Doug Tompkins left behind the world of the massively successful outdoor brands they'd helped pioneer like Patagonia, The North Face, and Esprit, and turned their attention to a visionary effort to create National Parks throughout Chile and Argentina. "Wild Life" chronicles the highs and lows of their journey to effect the largest private land donation in history.
NYADNYAD · 2023
NYAD
7.12023
MovieDramaHistory
Athlete Diana Nyad sets out at 60 to achieve a nearly impossible lifelong dream: to swim from Cuba to Florida across more than 100 miles of open ocean.
EnduranceEndurance · 2024
Endurance
7.12024
MovieDocumentary
A century after Shackleton's Endurance sank beneath the ice, explorers uncover the legendary shipwreck and an amazing tale of survival.
Everest: The Other Side
Oct 29, 2026
Everest: The Other Side · 2026
Everest: The Other Side
2026
MovieDocumentary
An intimate portrait of two people bound by love, ambition, and the pursuit of the impossible. Elite ski mountaineers Jim Morrison and Hilaree Nelson fell deeply in love while reaching the pinnacle of their sport. Their drive sharpened into a shared dream: to climb and ski the direct North Face of Mount Everest - the most difficult and dangerous climb on the mountain and the most coveted ski line on Earth - something only a handful have ever achieved, and no one has successfully skied down.

Filmography

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