Better Up There | The Story of Léo Slemett is an intimate documentary portrait of French freeride skier Léo Slemett that goes far beyond competition highlights and powder footage. Directed by alpinist-filmmaker Mathis Dumas, the film traces Slemett’s journey from a talented Chamonix kid to a Freeride World Tour standout, while focusing less on results and more on the personal struggles that shaped him along the way. The documentary explores the “duality” of the mountains—a place that can give purpose and joy but can also take everything away in an instant.
Rather than following a traditional sports narrative, the story unfolds as a reflective portrait about resilience. It touches on setbacks, life-altering challenges, and the emotional toll of loss, showing how those experiences reshaped Slemett’s relationship with skiing and with himself.
Ultimately, Better Up There is less about winning lines in steep terrain and more about why athletes keep returning to the mountains—even after they’ve faced their hardest moments there. It presents a universal theme: the search for balance, meaning, and healing through passion.
