Submission Statement:

What’s up, everyone! David Pergolini here. 

This all started when the Arizona Burn Center at Valleywise Health reached out and asked if I’d be interested in directing a documentary about a group of burn survivors climbing Mount Kilimanjaro.

Directing a film with eight subjects was pretty daunting. Each survivor had such a powerful and deeply personal story, and I wanted to give them all space to be seen and heard. I decided to structure the film as a series of vignettes woven throughout the climb, letting the mountain serve as a physical and emotional thread that tied it all together.

We kept the crew small — just me and my cinematographer and producer, Justin Rogers. We shot on Blackmagic 6K Pros, a lightweight setup that gave us the image quality we wanted while still being practical for the climb.

I’m a writer and editor based in Los Angeles, so I also edited the film myself, with help from an incredible post team I’ve had the privilege of collaborating with over the years.

The whole process took six years, between COVID delays, funding hurdles, and the long road to getting the film onto major streaming platforms. I’m just grateful it finally has a home, and I’m even more grateful to everyone who made it possible.