's ambitious and a working mom, and I was so curious to learn more about her and the fact that she was at her level. She's at this level not just as a woman, but as a climber and as a ski mountaineer. She was at the top, and I was fascinated by that. And when you meet her, you realize that the light that she shines and she brings with her is real. 

The timing also fit.  We were just coming out of COVID, so when they called at the end of 2020 and said they were thinking of doing a film of this scale, with this landscape, going to Everest, getting out, chasing a dream, it was just a no-brainer. 

Does the hope to provide inspiration for audiences play a big role for the creative team?  It's an idea that I've looked at in many films - this fundamental human paradox of having these really ambitious dreams but they require real work to get there,  said Vasarhelyi.  We had a very long and difficult journey where great tragedy also happened. So I'm happy if you come out of it feeling buoyed. I think there is a lot of hope and inspiration in the film, but I think we are also really trying to create a very candid look, an honest look at the ethical complexity of these big ambitions. 

Added Dill:  With Jim and Hilaree being middle-aged and having already been doing this for over 20 years as athletes, that was interesting as well. They've had a lot of complicated life that they've lived, a lot of loss, and so, as characters, they were really interesting. As people, they brought a lot to the table already, and the sport itself is a niche sport. 

Are more movies on or near mountain tops in the works from the director or the producer?  I think for me, this is my last mountain film,  Vasarhelyi said. But Dillon offered:  Never say never.