Wanda Rutkiewicz was a pioneering figure who entered the male-dominated world of Himalayan mountaineering without compromise, becoming the first Polish and European woman to climb Mount Everest, as well as the first woman in the world to climb K2. Her life was full of spectacular successes and dramas, and she disappeared mysteriously during an expedition to Kanchenjunga in 1992. To this day, there are rumours that she may have hidden herself away in a monastery.

In her film, mountaineer and director Eliza Kubarska reveals unknown aspects of Wanda's life, using her extraordinary audio diary recorded a few months before her disappearance. These intimate, philosophical reflections on motherhood, relationships, marriage, and the meaning of life are interwoven with interviews featuring world-renowned climbing icons such as Messner, Wielicki, and Carsolio, as well as Wanda's loved ones. Treading in her footsteps in the Himalayas, the film becomes a portrayal not only of an exceptional Himalayan climber, but also of the universal tale of human courage and the pursuit of the absolute.

International premiere: IDFA 2024

Polish Film Academy Awards 2025 (Best Documentary)