Trailer debut: 'The Dawn Wall' documents 'seemingly impossible' effort to scale rock face in Yosemite

Film opening September 14 follows climber Tommy Caldwell on quest to conquer forbidding wall of El Capitan

This September will see the release of not one but two films that document efforts to ascend the sheer face of Yosemite's El Capitan, considered one of the most difficult free climbs imaginable and possibly beyond the capacity of humans to achieve.

Free Solo, directed by the Oscar-nominated duo of E. Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin, will hold its world premiere September 9 at the Toronto International Film Festival. It captures Alex Honnold on his attempt to scale the 3,000-foot rock wall without the use of safety ropes.

The Dawn Wall opens in select theaters September 14 and nationwide on September 19, a documentary about climbers Tommy Caldwell and Kevin Jorgeson, who made their brazen attempt to conquer that cliff wall in January 2015. Josh Lowell and Peter Mortimer directed the film, a production of Red Bull Media House and Sender Films, distributed by The Orchard.

He seemed like a man possessed, on a mission that was obviously impossible.

--Director Josh Lowell on climber Tommy Caldwell

"Blurring the line between dedication and obsession, Caldwell and his partner Jorgeson spend six years meticulously plotting and practicing their route," noted a press release announcing a new trailer for the film. "The pair lived on the sheer vertical cliff for weeks, igniting a frenzy of global media attention. But for Tommy Caldwell, the Dawn Wall was much more than just a climb. It was the culmination of a lifetime defined by overcoming obstacles."

Learn more about those obstacles by watching the new trailer:

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