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David Breashears

David Breashears

Directing

Biography

David Finlay Breashears, born December 20, 1955, in Fort Benning, Georgia, and died March 14, 2024, in Marblehead, Massachusetts, was an American mountaineer, filmmaker, author, and lecturer. The son of an army officer, he grew up moving regularly, eventually settling in Denver with his mother, where he developed a passion for climbing and the mountains at an early age. As a young man, he spent long hours at the Denver library, learning about great mountaineers to plan his own adventures. In 1983, Breashears made history by broadcasting the first live television images from the summit of Mount Everest. In 1985, he became the first American to reach the summit twice, during the expedition with Dick Bass, who then became the first man to complete the Seven Summits. He gained worldwide recognition as a director and cinematographer of adventure and mountain films, notably with the IMAX documentary Everest, released in 1998, the highest-grossing film in the format's history at the time of its release. During filming, he distinguished himself during the 1996 Everest disaster by actively participating in the rescue effort. Breashears eventually reached the summit with the IMAX team, capturing unprecedented footage from "the roof of the world." Over the course of his career, he directed or collaborated on some thirty films and documentaries, including Seven Years in Tibet, Cliffhanger, and Red Flag Over Tibet. He also accompanied Catherine Destivelle and Jeff Lowe on an expedition to the Trango Towers in 1990. His commitment extends to the environmental field: in 2007, he founded GlacierWorks to raise awareness about the melting of Himalayan glaciers due to climate change. Known for his compassion and courage, he asserted that the true success of his expeditions lay in the survival and cohesion of his team in the face of adversity. A four-time Emmy Award winner for his filmmaking, he left a lasting mark on mountaineering, adventure, and environmental protection. Divorced from adventurer Veronique Choa, Breashears lived in Marblehead when he wasn't trekking in the mountains. His death at 68 marks the passing of a legend of mountain cinema and a passionate advocate for the Himalayas and Tibet.

Known For

The Making of Everest
10.0

How was this IMPOSSIBLE movie actually filmed? Photographing the world's largest mountain in the world's largest film format demanded more than just strength and courage; it required dedication and purpose. During shooting, our filming schedule took an unexpected turn when eight climbers from other expeditions died in a sudden storm high on the mountain. Safe from the disaster, our film team helped launch a rescue. Re-live the events of those dramatic days which captured the world's attention, and hear about our team's heroic ascent of EVEREST to photograph the first large format film images from the top of the world. Summit day was heartfelt, especially for our climbing leader, Jamling Norgay, whose father is a Sherpa climbing legend. A devout Buddhist, Jamling deeply respects the mountain and its deities. The tragedy and triumph of Jamling's team reminds us of the importance and presence of spirit, not just on the mountain, but everywhere and always.

The Making of Everest

1998Movie
Everest: The Death Zone
6.9

Get ready for a (literally) breathtaking trek up Mt. Everest, from Base Camp at 17,600 feet; through the chilling, corpse-strewn Death Zone; to the very pinnacle of the the Earth, five and a half miles above sea level. For those brave souls who survive the harrowing climb to the top of the world, it is a transformative experience. But can the excruciating ascent—through frigid cold, blasting wind, blinding sun, and severe lack of oxygen—cause permanent, damaging changes to the human brain and body? In the wake of the 1996 disaster that took eight climbers in a single day, scientists follow a team of hikers to measure, for the first time ever, the toll high-altitude climbing takes on the heart, lungs, blood, and brain. Why do seemingly rational people make poor, sometimes fatal decisions as they approach the peak? And the danger doesn’t end there—as NOVA discovers during the descent, when one climber's respiratory illness takes a terrifying turn on the isolated mountainside.

Everest: The Death Zone

1998Movie