Interview: Jimmy Chin + Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi | Meru (The Fan Carpet)

The Fan Carpet's Jessen Aroonachellum spoke to Jimmy Chin and Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi about their inspirarational new documentary Meru. Like nothing you have ever seen before, MERU is the new extreme adventure documentary to surpass all others. In the high-stakes game of big-wall climbing, the Shark’s Fin on Mount Meru may be the ultimate prize. It’s a deadly route that has seen more failed attempts by elite climbing teams over the past 30 Years than any other ascent in the Himalayas. When Conrad Anker, Jimmy Chin and Renan Ozturk attempted the 21,000ft climb they suffered set back after set back including dwindling supplies, 10 feet snow storms and sub-zero temperatures. Beaten back even when inches from the summit, heartbroken and totally defeated, Anker, Chin and Ozturk face up to some extraordinary challenges in their quest to reach this infamously perilous peak. MERU invites audiences to join these intrepid climbers on their treacherous journey and, through its stunning visuals and thrilling narrative, offers us a unique understanding of what keeps mankind striving to achieve the impossible, against all odds. Directors Jimmy Chin and Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi capture and share with us a breath-taking, beautiful spectacle from the very top of the world. Nominated for the Grand Jury Prize at Sundance Film Festival, and winner of the Best Documentary Audience Award at Sundance, MERU is hotly anticipated to become one of the biggest documentaries of the year. A unique story of friendship, sacrifice, hope and obsession, Meru has been shortlisted in the Documentary Feature category for the Academy Awards®.