Free solo climber Alex Honnold captured the athletic presence of climbers around the world—particularly scaling the Yosemite’s 3,200 foot El Capitan without a rope in the Academy Award-winning documentary Free Solo.

In another amazing achievement, a young man slowly losing his eyesight decides to embark on a daring adventure to scale the same mountain with very limited vision and adversity in Looking UP.

Here is the official synopsis:

Looking UP tells the inspiring story of Eitan Armon, a young man facing encroaching blindness, as he takes on the challenge of climbing the world’s most epic granite wall, El Capitan. Directed by first-time feature filmmaker Elena Newman, the documentary shares a young man’s true story of overcoming limitations and turning challenges into opportunities…something we can all relate to in life.

Diagnosed with Retinitis Pigmentosa (RP), a rare and incurable genetic disease that gradually causes blindness over time, Eitan discovered his condition while serving as a sharpshooter in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). After receiving a medical discharge and with about 5% of his central vision remaining, Eitan decides to challenge himself and ascend Yosemite’s daunting El Capitan. Refusing to be limited by his visual disability, Eitan’s journey demonstrates that life has endless possibilities for those who approach it with positivity and resilience. In Looking UP, Eitan lets go of everything he can’t control and focuses on what he can.

Eitan’s story takes us to a breathtaking portaledge on El Capitan, where he camps 1,500 feet above Yosemite Valley, savoring peanut butter and soaking in the view with the limited central vision he has left. The film follows him as he navigates his New York City neighborhood with a white can, consults with his doctors at the University of Iowa, and explores groundbreaking advancements in stem cell retinal transplantation at the Institute for Vision Research. Along the way, we witness Eitan connecting with RP patients at more advanced stages of the disease and developing a relationship with his climbing mentor, Willie, as he learns the skills necessary for big wall climbing.

Throughout Eitan’s climb to the summit, we come to appreciate the strength of character of a young man who has been dealt a bad hand and refuses to sink into despair. The film showcases Eitan’s resilience, great sense of humor and grit, and is an uplifting story of determination and survival at its finest.

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LRM Online’s Gig Patta chatted with filmmaker Elena Neuman. Her previous credits included People Forget, New Haven Remembers, and Wishmakers.

Looking UP makes its premiere at the Miami Jewish Film Festival on Sunday, January 12, at 6:30 p.m.

Watch the exclusive interview with Elena Neuman below. Let us know what you think of the interview.

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Source: LRM Online Exclusive