The story of The Future of Climbing
The Future of Climbing is Guillaume Broust's 2025 documentary that brings together some of the sport's most influential figures to examine where climbing is headed. Rather than a straightforward history lesson, the film positions itself as a forward-looking inquiry — one that asks what happens when a once-niche pursuit becomes a global phenomenon, when competition intensifies, when younger generations push boundaries their predecessors never imagined. The cast includes legendary climbers Cédric Lachat, Catherine Destivelle, and Lynn Hill alongside emerging talents like Solenne Piret, Charlotte Durif, Julia Chanourdie, and Eline Le Menestrel. These aren't talking-head interviews strung together; they're conversations that unfold against real climbing sequences, training montages, and the kind of intimate moments that reveal what drives people to risk their bodies and minds on rock.
Behind the making of The Future of Climbing
French director Guillaume Broust has crafted a documentary that arrives at a pivotal moment for climbing. The sport's Olympic debut in 2021 transformed its cultural standing overnight — suddenly climbing had broadcast reach, sponsorship money, and mainstream attention it'd never had before. Broust's timing is deliberate. He's assembled a cast that spans generations: Destivelle, who pioneered mixed climbing and alpine routes in the 1980s and '90s; Lynn Hill, the American legend who made the first female ascent of The Nose on El Capitan in 1993; and Lachat, a Swiss climber and filmmaker in his own right who's spent decades pushing sport climbing's technical limits. Then there's the younger cohort — Piret, Durif, Chanourdie, and Le Menestrel — who've grown up with climbing already in the mainstream, with Instagram documenting their progress and sponsors waiting in the wings. The film doesn't shy away from the tensions this creates. What's striking is how Broust lets these voices sit in conversation rather than forcing a neat narrative arc. The production itself is slick without being over-produced; there's real climbing footage mixed with quieter moments that let you see the toll the sport takes. As of early 2025, the film has screened at several European festivals and is now reaching streaming audiences worldwide. Movie OTT tracks where new documentaries land across platforms, and this one's already finding its audience among climbing enthusiasts and sports documentary fans alike.
What makes The Future of Climbing stand out
Here's what I keep coming back to: the film doesn't pretend climbing has simple answers. It doesn't celebrate the sport's growth uncritically, nor does it mourn some imagined "purity" of climbing's underground past — a trap a lot of sports documentaries fall into. Instead, Broust seems genuinely curious about contradiction. You've got Lynn Hill talking about what it meant to climb alone in the desert in the 1980s, with no cameras, no sponsors, no one watching. Then you cut to a young climber training for Olympic qualification, and the entire context has shifted. The pressures are different. The goals are different. Neither version is wrong, but they're not the same sport, not really. What's particularly effective is how the film captures the physical reality of climbing — the way your forearms burn, the mental calculus of risk, the split-second decisions that separate a successful ascent from a fall. Broust doesn't rely on voiceover to explain these things; he lets you watch them happen. There's a sequence early on where one of the younger climbers is attempting a project that's pushed her to the edge of what she thought possible, and you see the frustration, the determination, the moment she has to decide whether to keep pushing or step back. It's maybe five minutes of footage, but it tells you more about what climbing is than any expert commentary could. The film also doesn't ignore the sport's darker elements — injury, burnout, the way social media has changed how climbers relate to their own achievements. These conversations don't feel forced or preachy; they emerge naturally from the people on screen.
Where to stream The Future of Climbing online
The Future of Climbing is available across major OTT services, and you can check the "Where to Watch" widget at the top of this page to see which platforms currently have it in your region. Streaming availability shifts frequently — platforms rotate titles, licensing agreements expire and renew — so that widget is your best bet for real-time accuracy. If you're a subscriber to any of the major services, there's a good chance it's already available to you. The documentary's runtime sits around 90 minutes, making it a solid evening watch without requiring a massive time commitment. Movie OTT's streaming tracker keeps tabs on where documentaries like this one land, so if it's not on your preferred platform today, you can set a reminder for when it arrives.
Frequently asked questions
Q: Who directed The Future of Climbing?
Guillaume Broust directed the 2025 documentary. Broust is a French filmmaker with experience in sports and adventure storytelling, and his approach here is notably reflective rather than purely celebratory.
Q: What climbers appear in The Future of Climbing?
The film features legendary climbers Catherine Destivelle and Lynn Hill alongside contemporary athletes Cédric Lachat, Solenne Piret, Charlotte Durif, Julia Chanourdie, and Eline Le Menestrel. The mix of generations is central to the film's exploration of how climbing has evolved.
Q: Is The Future of Climbing available to stream?
Yes, it's currently available on major OTT platforms. Use the "Where to Watch" widget at the top of the page to find which service has it in your area, as availability varies by region and changes over time.
Q: What is The Future of Climbing actually about?
The documentary explores climbing's evolution and future by bringing together legends and rising stars to discuss the sport's transformation — from niche pursuit to Olympic sport — and the pressures, opportunities, and questions that come with that change.
Q: How long is The Future of Climbing?
The film runs approximately 90 minutes, making it accessible for a single sitting without being rushed in its pacing.
Final thoughts on The Future of Climbing
If you care about climbing — whether you're a boulderer, a sport climber, a trad enthusiast, or just someone who finds the sport fascinating — this documentary is worth your time. It's not a feel-good sports movie that wraps everything up neatly. It's messier than that, more human. Broust lets his subjects breathe, lets the contradictions sit. The film doesn't tell you what the future of climbing should be; it shows you what people who've dedicated their lives to the sport think it could be. That's a harder, more honest thing to do. Don't expect easy answers. Expect a conversation that'll stick with you.
