The 2025 Festival

A Word from your Host Heart and Mind

“At every Val d’Isère Adventure & Discovery Festival, I find myself wondering to what extent adventurers are driven by irrationality. What are they looking for when they tackle an impossible rock face, venture into raging rapids or across mysterious steppes, or take to seas without boundaries? What are we trying to escape or to overcome? What redemption do we seek? What Grail, what star, what quest lies beyond the horizon?

I often thought there was a touch of madness behind these exploits, that this urge to take on the world was sheer craziness.

But when you discover the films presented during this 28th Festival and meet the heroes and filmmakers behind them, you will realise, as I did, that adventurers are far more mentally sound than we might imagine!

They do not seek “risk for risk’s sake”. Any of them will tell us this. For Nouria Newman, Pierre Petit, Eliott Schonfeld, Yohan Guignard, Arthur Bourbon and all those I cannot name here, the spirit of adventure embraces the unexpected, boldness in the face of danger, all the more readily when the risks have been assessed, studied and mastered. The mountaineers, sailors and explorers who will take to the stage over these four days are not daredevils, but adventurous souls guided by rigorous minds. Dreamers, certainly, but with their feet firmly on the ground.

They do not confront danger out of some morbid fascination, but because they believe that their desire to live life to the full can accommodate risk – once they have triumphed!

As it happens, essay writer Catherine Van Offelen has given a name to the traveller’s harmonious balance between boldness and reason: phronēsis. This Ancient Greek concept has been somewhat inadequately translated by modern societies as “caution”, reducing it to the “precautionary principle”, which anaesthetises action and withers the soul.

In her book Risquer la Prudence (published by Gallimard), Van Offelen’s definition of this virtue could almost have been deliberately tailored for participants in the Adventure & Discovery Festival. Phronēsis is practical wisdom, an art of action that does not reject danger, but weighs it up before embracing it, looks it in the eye and approaches it intelligently.

Nothing is bolder than the cautious. Nothing is more sensible than the risk-taker. Nothing is more moderate than the adventurer. And nothing is more vitally important than this 28th Adventure & Discovery Festival!

Among other evidence of that thirst for life expressed throughout our festival is the presence of our President, Claire Chazal, an inexhaustible champion of the arts and literature, of taste and the spoken word, of distant and inner journeys. She devotes much of her time to classical dance.

That, too, is a form of adventure. The adventure of measured gestures, controlled movement and strength held in reserve. Between grace and phronēsis, adventure could hardly be in better company this year!”

Sylvain Tesson.

GOLDEN EAGLE OF ADVENTUREUn PasteurDirected by Louis Hanquet

ALAIN ESTÈVE AWARDLa MadoneDirected by Laurent Jamet & Guillaume Pierrel

OUTSIDE HOPE AWARDParfum d'essenceDirected by Pastis-Momo

USHUAÏA TV AWARDA perte de vueDirected by Pierre & Carla Petit

AUDIENCE GRAND PRIZEAlaska, la cabane de Dick ProennekeDirected by Eliott Schonfeld

MONDAY 14 APRIL

5.30pm - PreviewLa Madone

Directed by: Laurent Jamet & Guillaume Pierrel
Language: French with English subtitles
Duration: 52 minutes

7.45pmA perte de vue

Directed by: Pierre & Carla Petit
Language: French
Duration: 52 minutes

9.15pmUn pasteur

Directed by: Louis Hanquet
Language : French with English subtitles
Duration: 70 minutes

TUESDAY 15 APRIL

5.30pmLes prophètes de l’escalade

Directed by: Marie Linton
Language: French
Duration: 52 minutes

7.15pmAlaska, la cabane de Dick Proenneke

Directed by: Eliott Schonfeld
Language: French
Duration: 55 minutes

9pmMongolie, la voie de l’aigle

Directed by: Hamid Sardar
Language: French and Original Version with French subtitles
Duration: 90 minutes

WEDNESDAY 16 APRIL

5.30pmOrdinaire

Directed by: Jérémi Stadler
Language: French with English subtitles
Duration: 54 minutes

7.15pmWe the surfers

Directed by: Arthur Bourbon
Language: French
Duration: 52 minutes

9pmBig Water Theory

Directe by: Emile Dominé
Language: French with English subtitles
Duration: 53 minutes

THURSDAY 17 APRIL

5.30pmParfum d’essence

Directed by: Pastis-Momo
Language: French with English subtitles
Duration: 54 minutes

7.15pmLes jours sauvages

Directed by: Yohan Guignard
Language: French
Duration: 52 minutes

Festival Host Sylvain Tesson

Born in Paris on 26 April 1972, Sylvain Tesson studied geography and geopolitics with Yves Lacoste before devoting his life to writing and long-distance travel. He has relentlessly explored the world by bike, walked across the Himalayas, ridden horses through Central Asia and followed in the footsteps of gulag escapees from Siberia to India. He has also investigated the oil industry in the Caucasus and Anatolia, and taken part in humanitarian and archaeological missions in Afghanistan.

His adventures in the Russian Far East, Mongolia, the Himalayas and Tibet have inspired some fifteen books, essays and short stories, including Une Vie à Coucher Dehors (Gallimard, winner of the 2009 Goncourt and Académie Française Prizes for Short Stories), Dans les Forêts de Sibérie (Gallimard, winner of the 2011 Médicis Award for Essays), and La Panthère des Neiges (Gallimard, winner of the 2019 Renaudot Prize). He has also presented the TV programme Montagnes on the French channel France 3 and is a regular contributor to Le Figaro Magazine, as well as making documentaries for the TV channel France 5.

Sylvain Tesson, whose passions are climbing, literature and horse riding, spent six months living in a cabin in Siberia, an experience he describes in Dans les Forêts de Sibérie (Gallimard, 2011). In his most recent book, entitled Blanc (Gallimard, 2022), he tells of his adventures in the Alps. In 2024, he received the Combourg Prize for his book Avec les Fées.

President of the JuryClaire ChazalBroadcaster & cultural presenter

Claire Chazal is a journalist and presenter with a passion for the arts and literature. Following her distinguished career as the presenter of TF1’s flagship 8pm news bulletin, she turned her attention to cultural projects. Since 2017, she has presented the TV show Entrée Libre on the channel France 5, which covers all the latest cultural affairs, where she interviews writers, artists and filmmakers. She has also presented Le Passage des Arts, a programme exploring creativity in all its forms, as well as Au Bonheur des Livres, which delves into the literary world and the work of its authors. She has also hosted Le Ciné-Club, where she shares her passion for cinema with distinguished guests. Through Le Grand Entretien on France 2, she continues to interview leading figures from the world of culture, while also sharing her projects and reflections in the more intimate and personal space of her YouTube channel. Claire Chazal remains a prominent voice in French cultural broadcasting, driven by her passion for meeting and engaging with today’s creative talents.

Paul BonhommeExtreme skier & mountain guide

Born in 1975 to Dutch parents, Paul Bonhomme moved to France at the age of four and grew up in Pontoise, where he developed a passion for climbing from an early age. After several years competing, he unsuccessfully attempted to qualify as a ski instructor and mountain leader, while working in construction. In 2001, he decided to devote himself fully to his calling and began training to become a mountain guide, obtaining his qualification in 2006. Today, as a husband and father of four, he juggles between family life, his profession and a host of mountain projects. Among his notable achievements are opening ten new ski descents across the Alps in a single season (Project X), completing a solo return ascent of the Giraud route on Les Bans in just six hours, and traversing the entire Jura mountains in less than four days.

Combining trail running, mountaineering and extreme skiing, he strives to give meaning to every adventure, each one steeped in history. He is also the author of Raide Vivant, published by Guérin.

Kti DevosParagliding champion & Editor-in-chief of the magazine

Kti is, above all, passionate about sport. She started out playing handball for the Monaco team before turning to mountain biking and mountaineering, climbing many iconic peaks: Mount Elbrus in Russia, Cotopaxi and Chimborazo in Ecuador, Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania, Mustagh Ata in China and Toubkal in Morocco. She even attempted Everest, but bad weather forced her to turn back at 7,500 metres. She has also climbed Mont Blanc around twenty times, taking different routes each time before descending by paraglider – her top passion. Now 61, she continues to rack up achievements, with 14 titles to her name, including French champion, European champion and world championship runner-up in accuracy landing. She is an experienced instructor and closely follows Sylvain Tesson’s progress in paragliding.

Rémy TézierDocumentary filmmaker

Rémy Tézier is a filmmaker with a passion for the great outdoors, from the open sea to the high mountains. He began his career in 1984 with Les Carnets de l’Aventure on former French TV channel Antenne 2. In 1990, he moved to Reunion Island, where he made award-winning documentaries for the TV channels TF1, France Télévisions and ARTE. His most noteworthy films, which have captivated audiences, include Au-delà des Cimes and Attaques de Requins à La Réunion : l’Enquête. Since 2017, he has devoted himself to marine conservation, making two documentaries over six years for ARTE. They explore the return of humpback whales and sea turtles to Reunion Island, and have received several major awards.

Demonstrations & Activities

Tuesday 15 April - 10amSensory ExperienceConvention Centre

This workshop invites you to experience the world as Carla does. Visually impaired, she is the protagonist of the film A Perte de Vue. You’ll discover audio description and become more aware of your own sense of proprioception.

- Duration: 1hr

- Limited to 12 participants

- Free admission. Prior registration required, at the Tourist Office.

Wednesday 16 April - 11amIntroduction to ClimbingCentre Aquasportif

Novices and beginners, this introduction to climbing is for you, in the company of Paul Bonhomme, a member of the Festival Jury, and Yannick, our local instructor.

- Duration: 1hr

- Limited to 10 participants

- Free admission. Prior registration required, at the Tourist Office

- Climbing equipment available for hire (personal equipment recommended).

Thursday 17 April - 2pmIntroduction to KayakingCentre Aquasportif

Nouria Newman shares her top tips during this unusual kayaking session at the swimming pool of Val d’Isère’s Centre Aquasportif.

- Duration: 2 sessions of 1h30 each

- Session 1: from 2 to 3.30pm, limited to 8 participants

- Session 2: from 3.30 to 5pm, limited to 8 participants

- Free admission. Prior registration required, at the Tourist Office.

Photo Exhibitions

DailyLa Madone

Every evening from 5pm onwards, come and gaze at photographs from the film “La Madone” in the lobby of the Henri Oreiller Convention Centre.

DailyWe the surfers

A second exhibition awaits you each evening of the festival: photographs from the film “We the Surfers”, on display in the marquee at the Henri Oreiller Convention Centre, from 5pm

Literary Events

Books will be on sale at the Festival bookshop from Monday 14 to Thursday 17 April, from 5pm to 10pm, as well as during the literary events, where copies can be signed by the authors.

Wednesday 16 April - 10amEliott Schonfeld & Volodia PetropavloskyHÔTEL EXPERIMENTAL CHALET

For this event, Eliott and Volodia invite Festival guests to join discussions about their books, both relating their respective experiences of the vast expanses of Alaska.

- “Alaska, Sur la piste de Telaquana” by Eliott Schonfeld

- “La dernière frontière” by Volodia Petropavlosky

- Free admission. Prior registration required, at the Tourist Office.

Thursday 17 April - 10amSylvain Tesson & Catherine Van OffelenHÔTEL LA SAVOYARDE

Come and discover the brand-new books by Sylvain Tesson and Catherine Van Offelen, exclusively at the cosy lounge of Hôtel La Savoyarde. This promises to be a unique occasion, just a few days after the publication of both books!

- “Les piliers de la mer” by Sylvain Tesson

- “Risquer la prudence” by Catherine Van Offelen

- Free admission. Prior registration required, at the Tourist Office.

Sunday 13 April - 6pmLe relais des océans

Pre-Festival session – Le Splendid Cinema

Fim crew in attendance: Armel Le Cléac’h, Sébastien Josse, Marie-José Pérec, Marine Lorphelin, Alexis Michalik and Hugo Roellinger.

- Duration: 29 minutes

- Language: French

- Free admission

- Places limited: Prior registration required, at the Tourist Office.

Immerse yourself in the transatlantic adventure of the Olympic Flame for the Paris 2024 Games through a 29-minute short film. After the screening, the crew will be there to share their experience and answer your questions.

From 7 to 16 June 2024, the Maxi Banque Populaire XI sailed from Brest to carry the Paris 2024 Olympic Flame to Pointe-à-Pitre. Powered solely by the wind, the vessel spent more than seven days at sea. On board, alongside sailors Armel Le Cléac’h and Sébastien Josse, and mediaman Tanguy Conq, four personalities took care of the iconic flame: Marie-José Pérec, Marine Lorphelin, Alexis Michalik and Hugo Roellinger.

Monday 14 April - 5.30pm

Opening Ceremony Short Film

With Dolomites, Kilian Bron opens a new chapter, taking you behind the scenes of his vision of mountain biking. Discover an excerpt from the film, directed by Valentin Birant, at the Festival’s Opening Ceremony.

- Directed by: Valentin Birant on behalf of Commencal

- Duration: 5 minutes

Tuesday 15 April - 2pmAlsaka

Private screening in the presence of film director Eliott Schonfeld.

- Duration: 55 minutes

- Language: French

- Le Splendid Cinema: private showing reserved for Val d’Isère’s primary school children.

In 1968, a man named Richard “Dick” Proenneke left civilisation behind, determined to fulfil his dream of returning to the wild. At the age of 51, he ventured deep into Alaska, where he built a cabin on the shores of one of the most remote lakes on Earth. He lived there for thirty years, surviving on fishing and foraging, with only grizzly bears, caribou, wolves and salmon for company.

It was this cabin at the ends of the earth that Eliott Schonfeld set out to find, twenty years after Dick Proenneke’s death. Inspired by the old man’s journals, the young adventurer follows in his footsteps through the ancestral lands of the Dena’ina people. Day after day, he discovers a new and extraordinary natural world, a free and abundant wilderness.

Through his timeless journey, marked by vertiginous climbs, raging rivers and close encounters with grizzly bears, he reminds us of the urgent need to protect this extraordinary natural heritage, threatened by humanity’s reckless pursuit of progress.

Wednesday 16 April - 3pmLes sentinelles de l’Antarctique

Carte blanche Ushuaïa TV – Le Splendid Cinema

With the director, Christophe Raylat, in attendance.

- Duration: 51 minutes

- Language: French

For 70 years, Antarctica, at the southernmost point of the planet, has been protected by an international treaty that designates it as a continent without borders or weapons, where natural resources remain unexploited. Argentina and Chile are the countries closest to Antarctica and, as such, both maintain a permanent presence on the Antarctic Peninsula, which extends towards the South American continent. The Argentinian presence even includes families who take turns living there each year, despite the particularly hostile climate.

Travel writer Cédric Gras, fascinated by the farthest reaches of the planet, set out to accompany these families on their journey to Esperanza Base.

In total, eight families, including 18 children aged between four and sixteen, are to live among gentoo penguins, Weddell seals and sea lions, with temperatures falling as low as -45°C and winds exceeding 150 km/h.

Reaching the base takes around ten days, travelling by military aircraft, helicopter and icebreaker. An extraordinary adventure for the most southernly permanent human settlement on the planet, whose continued presence is driven above all by geopolitical interests.