 "In a dark and mysterious way, the deadly nature of the place has only strengthened Everest's grip on the world's imagination. Because the dangers are so obvious, Everest has come to symbolize the ultimate in personal ambition and achievement. This explains, in part, why otherwise rational people will pay handsomely to tag the top. Even veteran Himalayan climbers like myself can find ourselves firmly in the mountain's grip. The risk of death is enticing, because it reminds you that you are alive." --David Breashears World-class filmmaker, adventurer and mountaineer David Breashears has combined his skills in climbing and cinematography to become one of the world's most acclaimed adventure filmmakers. His work has taken him to remote locations throughout Tibet, China, Nepal, India, Pakistan, and East Africa. In the spring of 1996, he directed, photographed and co-produced the first-ever IMAX film on Mt. Everest. This film, simply titled Everest, premiered in March 1998, and was released in more than 40 IMAX and OMNIMAX theaters throughout North America and Europe. The allure of Mt. Everest made this project the most eagerly anticipated IMAX film of all time. Over the past seventeen years, Breashears has worked on 27 film projects, ranging from full-length feature films to music videos. His film credits include: director of photography for Seven Years In Tibet (1996), a feature film starring Brad Pitt; director of photography and field-producer for Ice Princess (1995), a National Geographic Explorer film shot in Peru; director of photography and producer of the Telluride Mountain Film Festival Grand Documentary Prize-winning Red Flag Over Tibet (1994), a Frontline, WGBH-TV program shot in Tibet, India and Nepal; and Cliffhanger (1993), a feature film starring Sylvester Stallone, for which he was a cameraman, climbing consultant and advisor. In addition, Breashears transmitted the first live television pictures from the summit of Mt. Everest in 1983, and in 1985, became the first American to twice reach the summit of Mt. Everest. He is the recipient of four Emmy Awards for achievement in cinematography. His 1996 IMAX Everest expedition is also the subject of the National Geographic book, Everest: Mountain Without Mercy (1997). Breashears published a memoir, High Exposure: An Enduring Passion for Everest and Unforgiving Places, in April 1999.
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