A Film Crew Weighs Risk Versus Reward in the Latest ‘La Liste’ Ski Movie
In the new movie La Liste: All or Nothing, by Sherpas Cinema, Swiss big mountain skiers Jérémie Heitz and Sam Anthamatten travel the world to ski 6,000 meter peaks. It is the sequel to the 2016 original The list Movie. Along the way, they must make calculated risk decisions, but when their photographer, Mika Merikanto, is seriously injured in Peru, the entire crew is forced to reconsider their relationship with the mountains. We spoke to Malcolm Sangster, producer and co-creator of the film, to learn more about the project.
OUTSIDE: Why did you want to continue with this film?
MALCOLM SANGSTER: We had previously done projects with Sam and Jérémie and various partners. They know their immense abilities and goals and are big fans of the original The list Film completed by the duo, hope on board for the sequel was a no-brainer.
What message do you hope your film will convey to the audience?
In the end we want to create a dialogue about risk versus reward in the mountains. It’s an ongoing conversation every adventure seeker needs to have with themselves, constantly weighing the pros and cons of pushing the limits in extreme environments. It’s a personal question – how much risk you’re willing to tolerate – and we think it’s healthy to analyze this on an ongoing basis.
What were the biggest challenges in telling the story?
Climbing 6,000m peaks in countries like Peru and Pakistan is a tremendous challenge in and of itself. Between the logistics, permits, terms and timing, success on these expeditions can feel like finding a needle in a haystack. Additionally, we were involved with this production in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, adding to international travel and logistical challenges.
Were there other films? Were you looking for inspiration while telling this story?
The list was certainly an inspiration, as were climbing movies like free solo, The AlpinistAnd The Wall of Dawn.
Skiing is known for having a very niche and engaged audience. How did you go about telling a story that both hardcore and casual fans can enjoy?
Sherpas Cinema has been working with passionate ski fans since the mid 2000’s so we were pretty confident that with great skiers like Sam and Jérémie we would surely have a voice for audiences by showing their skills in places like Mica, British Columbia and the Alps. With the expedition filming in Peru and Pakistan, the film’s main accident in Peru, and all the risk versus reward talks, we wanted to create a documentary that your average viewer could enjoy and imagine in these sensational settings.
