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Impacting The World When There Was No Roadmap

When a global pandemic struck, it was a very bad time to be an airline. Experience the true purpose of our mission, and watch how the Delta family connected with the world through fortitude, resillience, and strength. By caring for our own and believing in people over profits, we impacted greater humanity and touched the hearts of those we serve.

The Stories Behind The Story

About The Film

In a one-hour feature film, "The Steepest Climb: How Delta Air Lines Navigated the Global Pandemic" offers an inside look at how the airline has overcome some of the most difficult crises in its near 100-year history. From 9/11 to Chapter 11 to the COVID-19 pandemic, Delta is no stranger to challenging times. Through a collection of interviews with frontline employees, executives and loyal customers, "The Steepest Climb: How Delta Air Lines Navigated the Global Pandemic", created in partnership with Smartypants Pictures, tells a story of incredible resilience.

Meet The Award-Winning Director

Joshua Seftel

Joshua Seftel is an Academy Award®-nominated director best known for directing the Emmy-winning landmark series Queer Eye for the Straight Guy, the feature film War, Inc. starring John Cusack, Marisa Tomei and Ben Kingsley, and his regular appearances on CBS Sunday Morning where he interviews his 86-year-old mother. Joshua's Academy Award®-nominated short documentary Stranger at the Gate is the latest film in Seftel’s Emmy and Peabody-nominated Secret Life of Muslims project (SXSW), which combats Islamophobia with filmmaking. Seftel, who experienced antisemitism as a child, has been committed to working on this subject matter for the past seven years.

His other award-winning films include Taking on the Kennedys (POV), Ennis’ Gift (HBO), The Home Team (SXSW) and The Many Sad Fates of Mr. Toledano (NYT Op-Docs, Tribeca). He is also a contributor to the Peabody Award-winning podcast This American Life and The New York Times.

The Stories Behind The Story

About The Film

In a one-hour feature film, "The Steepest Climb: How Delta Air Lines Navigated the Global Pandemic" offers an inside look at how the airline has overcome some of the most difficult crises in its near 100-year history. From 9/11 to Chapter 11 to the COVID-19 pandemic, Delta is no stranger to challenging times. Through a collection of interviews with frontline employees, executives and loyal customers, "The Steepest Climb: How Delta Air Lines Navigated the Global Pandemic", created in partnership with Smartypants Pictures, tells a story of incredible resilience.

Meet The Award-Winning Director

Joshua Seftel

Joshua Seftel is an Academy Award®-nominated director best known for directing the Emmy-winning landmark series Queer Eye for the Straight Guy, the feature film War, Inc. starring John Cusack, Marisa Tomei and Ben Kingsley, and his regular appearances on CBS Sunday Morning where he interviews his 86-year-old mother. Joshua's Academy Award®-nominated short documentary Stranger at the Gate is the latest film in Seftel’s Emmy and Peabody-nominated Secret Life of Muslims project (SXSW), which combats Islamophobia with filmmaking. Seftel, who experienced antisemitism as a child, has been committed to working on this subject matter for the past seven years.

His other award-winning films include Taking on the Kennedys (POV), Ennis’ Gift (HBO), The Home Team (SXSW) and The Many Sad Fates of Mr. Toledano (NYT Op-Docs, Tribeca). He is also a contributor to the Peabody Award-winning podcast This American Life and The New York Times.

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