The countdown officially begins tomorrow for the heart-pounding documentary Climbing girl SVOD is premiering on Netflix, and trust us when we say you’re not ready for this one.
Following her historic 24-hour freestyle ascent of Yosemite’s legendary El Capitan, five-time U.S. National Champion Emily Harrington brings her incredible story to a global audience. The film, which will be released on Netflix on Wednesday, September 16, goes beyond the sheer physical willpower required to scale a massive rock face. It’s an intimate, raw, and sometimes harrowing look at the vulnerability, friendship, and mental fortitude required to chase the impossible.
In case you missed it, yesterday we asked the documentary’s director (and Emily’s old friend), John Glasberg, to talk about the absolute logistical nightmare of filming on the side of a cliff. Read our interview with director John Glassberg here!
For part two of our exclusive featurette, we’re excited to bring you our interview with the film’s star herself. We spoke to Emily Harrington about her scariest fall experience, overcoming the pressure of a documentary crew, and what she hopes non-climbers will take away from her trip when they hit Play on Netflix this week.
Here’s what she had to say.
What’s on Netflix: Emily, Climbing girl It tells the story of your historic climb of El Capitan, showcasing not only the physical toll but also the extreme mental fortitude required and the work it takes. For someone like me before watching the documentary and maybe only seeing a headline or a clip, what do you hope someone takes away from the doc?
Emily Harrington: There are so many layers to this film and I think it touches on so many important themes that almost anyone can relate to; It is a human story as well as a climbing story. I hope the film achieves what it sets out to do in conveying those messages related to finding strength through weakness; The importance of having a good support system that you trust implicitly; How fear and failure go hand in hand with triumph and success. I hope people see what it takes to fail, strive, and persevere to achieve a goal; I hope they find inspiration in that journey.
The film will be coming to Netflix soon, opening your story to an audience of millions who may know nothing about free climbing. What is the main message you hope a non-climber takes away from your trip?
I think this movie is different from other climbing movies that have broken into the mainstream recently (Free solo, Dawn wall, 14 tops) for several reasons. Firstly, it’s a female-focused story which naturally works a little differently. But the most valuable difference in my opinion is that it does not put the main character on a superhero pedestal and a person immune to fear and dangers. I am a person with passion and purpose. I have doubts, fears, and many layers about my identity (just like everyone watching the movie). Climbing is just my way of discovering my identity and connecting with the world around me. I hope people find my story easier to relate to previous climbing films because I show that side.
I also want people to learn more about climbing itself and inspire some to try it themselves. It is a physical endeavor, of course, but it is also highly cerebral and requires complex problem-solving skills and creativity. I think a lot of people, especially women and girls, could benefit from trying such a complex sport that rewards not only strength, but also flexibility, physical awareness, creativity and mental toughness. In the past, climbing was often seen as a high-risk, fringe activity reserved for social outcasts, and of course there are still some elements of that in our culture and history; But it’s also a fast-growing sport around the world, an Olympic sport, and an activity that significantly more people can try now that climbing gyms have proliferated in urban areas. This is no longer a fringe counter-cultural activity, and the risk profile now has a very wide scope, meaning that it can be attempted for the first time in a very safe and controlled environment. I hope this film can be a small part of introducing people to this beautiful way to experience the world and challenge themselves.
There’s a particularly horrific moment in the documentary: you fall very early in the climb, and we’re left with nothing but the sound of your screaming for a long time. When did you first see that footage and what was your reaction?
I didn’t really want to see that footage for a while, and I don’t think I saw it until the movie was completely finished about 5 years later. By then the shock had worn off a bit and it felt manageable but still very annoying. I don’t listen to or watch this clip at all if I can help it because it seems unnecessary to relive it over and over again. For me, this was an unfortunate incident from which I learned a lot about the types of risks I feel comfortable taking while climbing. I think almost every athlete who participates in these types of activities will have some sort of close contact like this throughout their life – it’s more of a numbers game than anything else. If you put yourself in situations that involve a certain level of risk over several decades, eventually something will happen. For everyone I know who has tried something similar to what I did, it has changed them and their style, as it certainly did for me.
What was it like having the documentary crew following you everywhere, did that add to the pressure during the climb?
Honestly it didn’t happen. I saw it by having more of my friends there with me, supporting me and documenting the process. The idea of achieving success for the sake of the film never crossed my mind even once. I think this is for several reasons. The first reason is that we never thought the movie would get anywhere as big as this, and we certainly never thought it would become an iconic doc streaming on Netflix 😉 The second reason is that as climbers we’re so used to failure – it’s not something we harp on that much because most of our time is spent failing and not doing. Of course we all want to succeed and achieve our goals, and that’s what we eventually do if we put in enough effort for long enough. That was my only goal – to keep trying and not give up.
The documentary acts as a who’s who of climbing legends — like Lyn Hill, Conrad Anker, Tommy Caldwell, and of course Hilary Nelson, whom you refer to as a big sister in the final moments — but it also showcases your partner, Adrian, and your parents in depth. How important was it to you that the film capture the community and family support required to achieve such a solo accomplishment?
One of the main themes of the film is friendship, trust and support. I think for people who don’t climb, it’s often seen as a very individual endeavour, but for most of us that’s rarely the case. Climbing is a community-based activity that focuses on support. We always have someone on the other end of the rope, someone (or multiple people) cheering us on, lifting us up, and being our teammate. It’s an important part of the sport and it was crucial to me that the film highlights that aspect because I think it’s been overlooked a little bit in the past.
Thank you so much to Emily Harrington for taking the time to speak with us and share her amazing story.
Climbing girl It officially lands on Netflix this year Wednesday 16 September. Be sure to set your reminders, add it to your watchlist, and get ready for one of the most exciting sports documentaries of the year.