The ski stars at the film premiere, from left: Dominik Paris, Justin Murisier, Marco Odermatt, Cyprien Sarrazin, Aleksander Aamodt Kilde, and Daniel Hemetsberger. © APA / ROLAND SCHLAGER

Dominik Paris, Marco Odermatt & Co. as movie stars

Eleven years after "Streif – One Hell of a Ride," director Gerald Salmina has once again taken a cinematic look at the Alpine ski circuit. Dominik Paris also plays a major role in the new film.

14 October 2025

From: apa/det

Instead of reexamining the myth of a single race, the Austrian presents a comprehensive portrait of the downhill skier species with "Downhill Skiers." "I think the film captures a great deal of emotion," said Marco Odermatt. The official world premiere took place on Monday evening in Vienna, and the film will be released in Austria on October 23rd.

Swiss top star Odermatt, along with Vincent Kriechmayr, Aleksander Aamodt Kilde, Cyprien Sarrazin, Dominik Paris, Daniel Hemetsberger, Justin Murisier, and many others, was followed throughout the 2024/25 season, some even in the summer before the first races. The film's subtitle, "Ain't No Mountain Steep Enough," refers not only to the sporting challenges but also to the various personal dramas the protagonists had to cope with over the course of the season.

Director Gerald Salmina with Paris, Kilde, and Sarrazin (from left). © APA / ROLAND SCHLAGER

In almost 130 minutes, the documentary explores the highs and lows of downhill racing in a wild ride. It goes in front of and behind the scenes at classic events like Kitzbühel, Wengen, Bormio, and Beaver Creek, as well as to the undisputed highlight of the season, the World Championships in Saalbach-Hinterglemm. "The bar was already high," said filmmaker Salmina, referring to the previous project, "One Hell of a Ride," which won a Romy Award for Best Feature Documentary in 2015 and enjoys cult status among athletes. Once again, the stars also "allowed us to share our private thoughts," Salmina says. "We tried to get closer to the downhill skiers as people—that was our ultimate goal."

Dominik Paris is one of the biggest downhill stars. © ANSA / ALESSANDRO DELLA VALLE

Confidants and relatives also have their say – such as the parents of overall World Cup winner Odermatt and numerous doctors. This clearly demonstrates that some scenes take place in the hospital and rehabilitation setting. Most impressively, the Frenchman Sarrazin's arc of tension demonstrates that extreme risk is a constant companion to everything he does.

Sarrazin's downfall almost ended the film

The 2024 Kitzbühel winner suffered such a severe fall during training in Bormio in December of that year that he was in an artificial coma for days, and his future career remains uncertain. He suffered a hemorrhage near the brain and other serious injuries. "I definitely want to come back, but I want to be at 100 percent for that," said Sarrazin, who celebrated his 31st birthday on Monday. "To this day, I can't smell through my left nostril, but that's not a problem at all. The problem is my knees; they're bad."

Cyprien Sarrazin suffered a brutal fall in Bormio. © AFP / CHRISTOPHE SIMON

Salmina said he had actually wanted to stop filming after Sarrazin's crash. However, the athlete's gradual and then rapid recovery changed his mind. The fact that the world's best downhill skiers are constantly operating in a state of emergency is also demonstrated by the fates of other athletes: Kilde missed the entire 2024/25 season due to a badly damaged shoulder following a crash in Wengen, and Kriechmayr was in danger of missing the World Championships in Saalbach due to a knee ligament injury. Paris, Murisier, and Hemetsberger have also suffered serious knee injuries in their careers.

New security debate

Following the death of Italian Matteo Franzoso following a training crash in Chile in September, the long-running safety debate has recently heated up again. There is no antidote to risk, only strategies for coping. "You learn never to ignore it," said Paris about his basic approach. "You don't think about it when you're skiing. There are so many other things I have to think about," explained the South Tyrolean. But there is nothing that gives you the same euphoria as a successful downhill race, reported Kilde. Downhill racing is his "vocation and passion," said the Norwegian.