The North Face have brought out a new film starring Dennis Ranalter, one of the world’s most respected freeride skiers.
But there’s more to ‘Descendance’ than your usual jaw dropping freeride skiing, the film is Dennis’ story and a personal journey of self-exploration that examines his relationship with his own skin colour, with those closest to him and all those who share his love of skiing.
It’s a journey that takes him from his home valley in Austria to Accra, the capital of Ghana, shining a light on the power of family along the way.
Of course we also see plenty of Dennis’ playful style and technical ability, which have earned him a wide fan base and the widely used moniker: D-RAN.
Yet away from a name that showcases his self-assurance on the steep slopes of Austria, Dennis’s struggles with identity run deep. At its heart, the question of race and what it means to be black in a sport that remains predominantly and conspicuously white.
Alongside the self-inspection, Descendance is a film that also looks outwards, examining the broader role of racism, the cultural impact it has and the ever more pressing need for positive change.
Filmed and produced over a two-year period by the Legs of Steel team, with support from Phil Young, founder of The Outsiders Project and an advocate for diversity and inclusion in the outdoors. Descendance was shot against a backdrop of intense cultural and political change and is a film that doesn’t shy away from asking the difficult questions, highlighting a tiny portion of the injustices that Dennis and so many others experience in the mountains.
Throughout, Dennis’ courage, curiosity, and kindness act as a mirror to everyone, challenging the audience to reflect on their own experiences, the power they hold and the world they want to live in.
For Dennis, it’s a world where differences are celebrated, where young people from all backgrounds and ethnicities can see the footsteps he’s taken, so that they can follow, finding their own way to explore and help others to do the same.
The film has already won several awards and is nominated for even more. At the iF3 Movie Awards Descendance won “Film of the Year”, “Best Cinematography” and “Best Storytelling” awards in the Ski Pro Category. At High Five Festival 2023 it was nominated for “Best Movie” and won “Jury Special Price”.
Descendance is available to watch now here:
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