The journey to climb the furthest point from the center of the earth.
A seaming unfullfillable dream and a lot of ambition to reach it, that is what Marta Hughes had, when she set out to climb Chimborazo, the furthest point from the center of the earth and, with 6268 meters above sealevel, the highest mountain in Ecuador. With little to no serious climbing experience and being afraid of heights, Marta had more to overcome than just the physical challenge, in her effort to raise money for SOS Children’s Villages through her climb.
I followed her whole journey for the documentary “Dare To Try” from the training in the alps to the highest peaks in Ecuador.
High in the Ecuadorian Andes, an unlikely mountaineer emerged: Marta Hughes, a novice climber with a fear of heights, set her sights on conquering Chimborazo (6,268m), Earth's furthest point from the planet's center. Her mission wasn't just about personal triumph - it was a bold fundraising initiative for SOS Children's Villages that would test both physical and psychological limits.
Why the story matters
point from the center of the earth.
I needed to transform Martha's ambitious mountain climb into a compelling narrative that would inspire donations and engagement over an extended campaign period. The project required capturing authentic moments of struggle and triumph while maintaining audience interest from initial training through to the final summit attempt.
We developed a multi-platform storytelling strategy that followed Marta's journey from her first training sessions in the Alps to the ultimate challenge in Ecuador. The centerpiece was a feature-length documentary, supported by weekly video dispatches that kept audiences engaged throughout the campaign. We enhanced the experience with immersive VR content, allowing supporters to virtually join Marta on her climbs, while professional photography documented every crucial moment of her transformation from novice to mountaineer.
The documentary premiered in Luxembourg in April 2019, drawing significant attention to the SOS Children's Villages cause. Our social media campaign created a community of engaged supporters who followed Marta's journey through regular video updates and VR experiences. The project successfully merged adventure storytelling with charitable giving, demonstrating how personal challenges can catalyze social impact.
- Production Year: 2018
- Client: SOS Childrens Village
- Role: Strategy, Photography, Filmmaking, Editing