When nature wins: Odermatt, Gut-Behrami and the drama surrounding the Matterhorn descent

An ambitious project, a failure due to the forces of nature: “Aiming High” documents the failed World Cup downhill on the Matterhorn and offers intimate insights into the world of ski stars Lara Gut-Behrami and Marco Odermatt.

The documentary, which will premiere on October 4 at the Zurich Film Festival, examines the ambitious plan to hold 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 is not only about the plans, but also about the athletes and their struggles – with themselves and the extreme conditions. Lara Gut-Behrami says she always wanted to win, but she was never able to deal with defeat. “I was never calm, I always wanted to deliver and be number one,” says the Ticino native. “I was successful, but it cost me so much of my life, of me as a person, that at some point I realized that it wasn't going to work.”

Gut-Behrami speaks openly about the stresses of her career and the difficulties of dealing with the pressure to succeed. “It took me a long time to accept that I had imagined a lot of things that made no sense at all. I felt like I had to be the Swiss ambassador, I saw the whole thing so crudely – I could hardly breathe.”

Marco Odermatt says that he is now under constant observation. He constantly hears a noise 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, who are sticking to the realization of the race – despite frustrations and failures. It is a constant battle against the media, politics – and above all, nature.

Nature is also stronger in 2023. “Fortunately, it still has the last word,” says Franz Julen, head of the Zermatt race's organizing committee. Strong winds and large amounts of snow prevented the long-awaited premiere last year. Odermatt says frustrated: “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: Where are the limits of elite sport? Can pioneering spirit be reconciled with sustainability? There are no answers to these questions – but the impressive images and moving moments will remain in the viewers' memories.