I am not a mountain climber. But when I read the words the first Singaporean to summit K2 without supplemental oxygen wrote in his climbing diary, Kahshin Leow’s experience resonated with me. I read the reflections of an adventurous spirit grappling with mortality and a loving father hoping to make it home.

This film explores the fragility of human life and probes climbers and non-climbers to contemplate what matters most to them. I hope audiences realize that we are not invincible and that nature gives no regard to record-breaking glory. Kahshin remains anonymous, acting as a vessel for a larger story about Mother Nature’s mercilessness. 

Coming into this project after the climb had already been filmed was challenging, but I found the heart of the film. Cameras weren’t chasing drama or conflict and didn’t roll during the riskiest moments: it quietly observed a long, grueling journey.

I didn’t want to make another typical climbing film driven by epic music and a deep-voiced narrator that guides the viewer’s experience. Instead, this film is a poetic — and sometimes lonely — experience. The decision to have viewers patiently read captions drawn from Kahshin’s diary was intended to reflect his slow journey.