For decades, the prevailing belief in mountaineering was that humans couldn’t survive above 8,000m without supplemental oxygen; a notion disproven in 1970, when Reinhold Messner became the first person to climb Mt. Everest with no bottled oxygen. This feat prompted further paradigm shifts, prompting alpinists to pursue progressively more stripped-down approaches. In 2022, The North Face Athlete Benjamin Védrines set out to break K2’s FKT, failing his attempt and barely escaping to tell the tale. He returned in 2024 to fulfill the challenge that had come to define him—and face the psychological scars of his earlier mission.

“Of a Lifetime” a film by Jérôme Tanon, is a celebration of discovery, adventure, and the passing of the torch to the next generation against the breathtaking backdrop of Antarctica. It chronicles the renowned De Le Rue family’s journey as Xavier, Victor, and 18-year-old Mila sail across the Drake Passage to ride the unimaginably steep lines of the icy continent. Mila’s initiation into big mountain free riding is captured through personal diaries, showcasing her growth as she faces her fears and embraces the challenge. Directed and edited by: Jérôme Tanon Cinematography by Guido Perrini, Christoph Thoresen and Jérôme Tanon Original Soundtrack: Michaël Stroudinsky and Lola Bastard Produced by: Beanie De Le Rue, Xavier De Le Rue Colour: Endjoy / Sebastien Baudemont Sound Mix: Mix&Mouse / Thibault Foulques Original Soundtrack available here: https://ofalifetime.ffm.to/soundtrack

Kayaker Nouria Newman, along with her two childhood friends Jules Dominé and Maël Nguyen attempt to go down one of the hardest rivers on earth, the Rondu Gorge on the Indus River, in Pakistan. An immersion into the world of big water kayaking, where reading the waterflow, friendship, and harmony with nature are more than essential. A gripping and engaging film that you won’t forget soon!

The GR20, the mythical traverse of Corsica, is usually completed in 15 days. Anne-Lise Rousset Séguret will try to establish the female record in a single push of 36h! Coached by her husband, she has been preparing for many months to be up to this challenge. A collective adventure in the heart of the “island of beauty”, full of suspense and emotions!

Facing some of the most challenging terrain in the world, Valentine Fabre and Hillary Gerardi, two world class athletes, attempt to be the first women to ski the Haute Route non-stop from Chamonix to Zermatt. For Valentine, the Haute Route has deep personal resonance. Her husband, Laurent, had set the men’s record shortly before a fatal mountain climbing accident a decade ago. For Valentine, completing the route would be the ultimate tribute to Laurent’s memory.

In their infinite quest for virgin big walls, Belgian adventurers and musicians Sean Villanueva O'Driscoll, Nicolas Favresse, Stephane Hanssens and their French teammate Evrard Wendenbaum, head in September 2013 to a remote valley in the westernmost region of China. There, after a week of exploration of the surrounding glaciers, they find a fantastic 1200m vertical pillar, culminating at 5842m. The hard work of carrying their gear done in 6 days, they finally spend 14 more days on the wall to achieve this amazing ascent opening a breathtaking free-climbing route with a lot of humor and playing unreal musical jams even while facing wounds, snowstorms and harsh conditions.

Julien Irilli transcends classic mountaineering thanks to the use of a new generation of ultralight paragliders. The north face of the Grandes Jorasses? Swallowed in one morning after a take-off from the Aiguille du Midi. If the mix of disciplines forces him to surpass himself, it makes it possible to create increasingly crazy combinations.