National Geographic is celebrated for the high quality images it publishes. So when the organization includes a smartphone documentary  in its Short Film Showcase, that’s an invitation to look closely at the cinematography.

“Wasfia: A Woman’s Epic Journey to Climb 7 Mountains” doesn’t disappoint. The 13-minute documentary, directed and edited by Kusanagi,  features stunning clips capturing everything from massive vistas taken from the top of Mt. Everest to crisp close-ups of faces, prayer wheels, and climbing gear.

Director of photography Stash Slionski has included a range of special effects including stop motion, slow motion, and camera rotation. The iPhone 6s answers every challenge that National Geographic projects include.

There’s more to “Wasfia” than technical excellence. The documentary tells the emotionally charged story of Wasfia Nazareen, the first Bangladeshi to climb the Seven Summits. She undertook this adventure not merely for the thrill of it but rather as part of her mission to help girls around the world realize that its possible to create one’s destiny. While the movie is ultimately optimistic, it’s memorable in part because it unflinchingly includes tragic moments.

While “Wasfia” features grand locations from around the world, the techniques apply to any documentary. For example, the novice documentarian will get a terrific lesson in transitioning back and forth from the subject’s on-screen dialogue to voice-over narration.

See more from National Geographic’s Short Film Showcase at http://video.nationalgeographic.com/video/short-film-showcase.