At the 2024 Sports Emmys back in May, The North Face's video project 'DESCENDANCE' was given an award for Outstanding Camera Work for long-form video projects.
The film profiles Austrian-born freeskier Dennis Ranalter, and his lifelong struggle to understand and accept his unique identity as a black skier in Austria.
At its heart, the film explores the question of race and what it means to be black in a sport that remains predominantly and conspicuously white. Dennis' unique riding style, flow, and technical abilities, paired with a soft-spoken and quiet nature have allowed only his skiing to speak for itself. But now, through the masterful cinematography of this film, Dennis gives viewers a glimpse into his deeply personal history, internal turmoil, and the motivations that made him the skier he is.
"You get into a place when you feel like you need to prove something out of your skin color because being you is not enough."
The film highlights the importance of representation, not just in skiing and the outdoor world, but in a much broader context. It reinforces the theme that skiing has an incredible ability to unite and gives people the power to imagine themselves somewhere, or as someone.
"I feel like if you're really young, and you see somebody looking like you doing something, it makes you feel like you can do it as well, right?"
