Mandy Horvath, missing both legs from an accident, climbs Mt. Kilimanjaro in the amazing documentary The Ascent. Directed by Edward Drake, Scott Veltri, and Francis Conin, it plays as part of the 2026 edition of the Seattle International Film Festival.
I’ve never climbed a mountain myself. I never will, not my thing,, and my own health issues pretty much cut out more than a long hike, but damned if I don’t love stories of these high-off places, hard to reach, with a total big push to make it there in person. Whether it be insane climbs such as Alex Honnald taking on El Capitan alone in Free Solo, the matter-of-fact how it works in the Everest documentary that was in every IMAX in the late-90s, the love-based exploration of Into the Fire, or merely looking at the majesty in Mountain of 2018 or so many one can find all over, I’m hooked. (At SIFF 2017, I really dug Dirtbag: The Legend of Fred Beckley). The story of Mandy Horvath’s ascent (title!) of Tanzania’s 15,340-foot peak Mount Kilimanjaro is of the watching someone climb variety, with all the ups and downs, troubles and tribulations that come with it. The hook for the viewer? Mandy is missing her legs a few inches below her hips. But far more than just the climb, The Ascent, directed by the trio of Edward Drake, Scott Veltri, and Francis Cronin, is a wonderful documentary of resilience in reclaiming a life nearly lost in multiple ways through extreme means: climbing the world’s tallest peaks without prosthetics.
The Ascent, which deservedly won the SXSW2026 Audience Award for Best Documentary Feature, is just as much about the climb, but how Horvath is pushing through, taking control of her destiny, and learning to trust others and herself after her “accident.”Just to be clear, Mandy Horvath is not going to take your pity, and the platitudes of “ooh, you, you’re such an inspiration.” That’s not her. She’s an outspoken, brash, wild child of extremes. This makes her a fascinating subject. A child of a fraught homelife (her dad… jeez), she’s found solace in other ways – namely, parties, alcoholism, and drug use. Before and after her accident, the addictive personality and low filter have gotten her in trouble, and that’s why she’s great to watch. She’s an open and clear natural storyteller with a great sense of herself and story, self-deprecating in humor and honest. The climbs are redepptions and redirections for herself, finding a positive focus, but Horvath isn’t reading from Chicken Soup for the Soul. Her drive in the climb is a way to keep the demons away and to prove to everyone else the mantra of the tattoo across her chest, paraphrasing here, but “tell me I can’t, and I’ll show you I can.”
The Ascent is mostly an inspirational activity and person (albeit of a different light, a “fuck you” with a smile, who might bristle at the idea), but partially a true crime documentary. Horvath lost her legs via a train incident in 2014 at the age of 21. I’ll leave the documentary to get into the details (or you can find them across the internet), but the incident is likely far more complicated than passing out or trying to commit suicide via train, as the police wrote it off. This aspect is just as engaging as the climb, or Horvath’s life around, of course it is; full of mystery and intrigue. Not to mention infuriating moments from so many involved. A full hour of a cable documentary could be on just the incident, let alone the climb.
The trio of Drake, Veltri, and Cronin builds The Ascent wonderfully, climbing to Kilamanjaro’s peak with excellent crosscutting to the multiple storylines. They build on one another as they slide through time, introducing and reinforcing parts of Horvath’s life, the climb, and the incident in a matching jigsaw. All, of course, rotating around Horvath and how she tells her story, with new interviews, awe-inspiring footage of the climb with her fantastic team of people, such as expedition commander Carel Verhoef, her physiotherapist Sally Grierson, and the incredible screen presence of porter Whitey- no free solo here, archival footage, and news clips. All th shifts move with ease, flowing well into one another.
The Ascent, directed by Drake, Veltri, and Cronin, is a soaring documentary of resilience with one of the most interesting documentary subjects in Mandy Horvath. A fascinating portrait of an extreme challenge and the life that led to it, I recommend climbing into a seat at the 52nd Seattle International Film Festival, running from May 7th through 17th, 2026, and watching. See more information at www.siff.net/festival.