What are the ethical challenges of a documentary filmmaker in that situation?
I never intended for that terrible scream to be recorded. The memory of seeing Jehan fall to his death is very hard for me. When I put that camera in my pocket, I thought I had turned it off to save the battery and didn’t realize it was still filming. Hearing the audio later, I felt sick. But I ultimately decided to include this audio and feel the viewer will place it in context of what this film is trying to show. This film documents a tragedy that changed–and ended– many lives. The intention of this film is to honor those who perished on the mountain. Q: On the audio, you break down and ask yourself why a live man died for a dead one. Did you feel responsible? We all felt responsible! How could we not feel responsible? Q: You interviewed survivors as the “blame game” intensified at Base Camp. Please comment on the tensions you observed. A: Remember these climbers where in a state of shock, having worked extremely hard for over a week, functioning with sleep deprivation, dehydration
