An ambitious project, a failure in the face of the forces of nature: "Aiming High" documents the failed World Cup downhill on the Matterhorn and offers intimate insights into the world of the ski stars around Lara Gut-Behrami and Marco Odermatt.
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- The documentary "Aiming High" shows the failure of the planned World Cup downhill run on the Matterhorn and sheds light on the challenges faced by athletes such as Lara Gut-Behrami and Marco Odermatt.
- Natural forces such as wind and lack of snow led to the final cancellation of the transnational race despite the persistent efforts of the organizers.
- The film addresses the pressures and stresses of top-class sport, but leaves critical questions about the compatibility of pioneering spirit and sustainability unanswered.
The documentary, which premieres at the Zurich Film Festival on October 4, sheds light on the ambitious project of a World Cup downhill race from the Matterhorn to Cervinia. However, the idea of creating the first transnational downhill race ended in a debacle after a series of cancellations. "Aiming High" shows both the sporting challenges and the resistance to the mammoth project.
The film focuses not only on the plans, but also on the athletes and their struggles - with themselves and the external conditions. Lara Gut-Behrami says that she has always wanted to win, but has never been able to deal with defeat. "I was never really calm, I always wanted to deliver and be number one," says the Ticino native. "I was successful, but it took so much of my life, of me as a person, that at some point I realized I couldn't do it like that."
Gut-Behrami speaks openly about the stresses and strains of her career and the difficulties of dealing with the pressure to succeed. "It took me a long time to accept that I was imagining a lot of things that didn't make any sense. I felt I had to be the Swiss ambassador, I saw the whole thing as so big - I could hardly breathe because of it."
Marco Odermatt says that he is now under constant observation. He can constantly hear a murmur behind his back. "Learning to say no has become one of the most important things for me," says the overall World Cup winner.
Nature has the last word
In addition to the emotional insights of the athletes, the film shows the tireless struggle of the organizers to make the race a reality - despite frustrations and failures. It is a constant battle against the media, politics - and above all nature.
Nature will still be stronger in 2023. "Fortunately, it still has the last word," says Franz Julen, OC boss of the Zermatt races. Strong winds and large amounts of snow prevented the long-awaited premiere last year. Odermatt says in frustration: "We were there for a week without pay."
Julen also sheds tears in the documentary. We won a battle, but not the war, he says. The film also raises critical questions: What are the limits of elite sport? Can a pioneering spirit be reconciled with sustainability? There are no answers - but viewers will remember the impressive images and moving moments.
