Invisible Ground

A snowboard film about vulnerability.

After tragic avalanche accidents, professional snowboarders Xavier De Le Rue and Elias Elhardt deeply question their motivation for the potentially life-threatening pursuit of freeriding, which they have dedicated themselves to. During several days in the mountains together, they share personal experiences from being exposed to extreme risks for many years and what being vulnerable actually means to them after all. By questioning unrealistic ideas of control, Invisible Ground sets out to explore how to obtain a reasonable balance between the love for adventure and a misguided drive to expose oneself.

Invisible Ground won best Snowboard Film 2022 at High5 Festival in Annecy, FR.

Directed & Produced: Elias Elhardt
Cinematography & Editing: Christoph Kaar, Philipp Kaar
Sound Design & Mastering: Nod Wave Studio
Color: Lukas Cairns
Animation: Zane Oborenko
Archive footage: Guido Perrini 
Photography by Carlos Blanchard & Theo Acworth

Additional Cinematography: Nico Walz & Craig Paterson
Drone Cinematography: Sebastian Schieren & Mario Käppeli
Written by: Elias Elhardt 
Dramaturgical Assistance: Kyra Scheurer
Production Assistance: Lorna Zamora Robles