In the documentary The Ascent, co-directed by Edward Drake, Scott Veltri, and Francis Cronin, Mandy Horvath is a determined bilateral amputee living in Colorado Springs, and nothing can stop her from climbing. Mandy reflects on her injury in harrowing detail about being hit by a train after a night of drinking, after being struck and pinned by a train in 2014, an accident that caused catastrophic injuries requiring amputation. She survived extensive trauma, underwent multiple surgeries and a long rehabilitation process, and had to relearn basic mobility and independence during her recovery.
Ever since, she has had to convince others that she can do things like climb the Manitou Incline on her hands. “The most nerve-wracking part is trusting people…it is a lonely world when you don’t know who to trust,” showcasing that her reliance has its limits. Truly living her life to the fullest despite setbacks, she has set her sights even higher by summiting Mount Kilimanjaro. Her dad warns her, “This ain’t Pike’s Peak, this is different,” setting the stakes for her Colorado mountain lifestyle.
As she climbs Kilimanjaro, we see flashbacks from the perspectives of the train conductor, her parents, and her friend April. It goes to unexpected places as she tries to figure out what happened to her, which is slightly distracting but never dull, and it’s briskly paced. This dramatically raises the stakes for her climb, but her journey is intercut with the crew who help her along the way; she is self-sufficient and has a crew to celebrate her victories, including her birthday! She may never fully understand what happened that night, but that uncertainty doesn’t stop her from pushing forward and achieving remarkable goals. Going back and forth from the climb to different perspectives is jarring but sets up the movie well.
The scraping and biting cold on her hands can cause blisters that risk infection, threatening her very ability to climb. Yet scaling Mount Kilimanjaro becomes a physical challenge and a way for Mandy to confront the lingering questions about her accident and find a sense of closure. Through breathtaking scenery and punishing terrain, Mandy transforms her journey into both a personal triumph and a testament to resilience. The Audience Award Winner in the Documentary Feature Competition, “The Ascent” is an inspiring celebration of courage, determination, and the human spirit’s refusal to be defined by adversity, while simultaneously locking audiences in to figure out what happened on the night of her accident.
The Ascent world premiered at the SXSW Film Festival and is seeking US distribution.
