Painting the mountains

The adage goes that beauty lies in the eye of the beholder, and «Painting the Mountains» is a testament to that. Through a journey into the heart of one of the most unpredictable mountain ranges in the world, we dive into the passionate gaze of Matthew, a photographer/journalist who fell in love with El Chaltén, this iconic place at the foot of the Fitz Roy massif in Argentine Patagonia.

This season, a team of French skiers comprising Aurélien Lardy, Vivian Bruchez, and Jules Socié arrives with the ambition to pioneer new ski lines in the granite walls of Fitz Roy. Where ropes are typically used for climbing, they want to place their skis and carve turns. Their unique skiing visions offer Matthew a chance to photograph the unprecedented, documenting extreme steep skiing, or «big wall skiing.»

At the intersection of two artistic approaches, the film blends photography, journalism, and high-level skiing. The visions intertwine to honor these mythical lines that the three skiers came to carve. Beyond the film’s opportunity to bring us close to some of the world’s most daring descents, we get to know the population and customs of a unique village whose surrounding mountains and weather captivate the world.

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PAINTING THE MOUNTAINS

Riders : AUREL LARDY, JULES SOCIÉ & VIVIAN BRUCHEZ
Photography : MATTHEW TUFTS

Director: PIERRE CADOT
Executive Producer: YUCCA FILMS
Producer: PICTURE
Original idea: AURÉLIEN LARDY & JULES SOCIÉ
Directors of photography: PIERRE CADOT & THOMAS GUERRIN
Editor: HUGO CLOUZEAU
Drone pilot: THOMAS GUERRIN
Music & sound design: ZIKALI
Color grading: FANNY AUCLAIR

Technical support: LA SPORTIVA