INNER WALLS

Inner Walls

A film by Alexandra Elkin

Documentary

2025

74 min

French with English subtitles

With Alexandra Elkin, Dierdre Wolownick, Alex Honnold, Jack Lambert, Sandrine Daoust, Amélie Leclerc, Xavier Boisvert, Frédérick Breton

LOGLINE

From Red Rock Canyon to Yosemite, filmmaker Alexandra Elkin accompanies two exceptional climbers on a dizzying adventure where fear, pushing oneself to the limit, and the passion for climbing meet at the summit, revealing that courage has no age.

SYNOPSIS

From the arid landscape of Red Rock Canyon to the awe-inspiring summit of Yosemite, filmmaker Alexandra Elkin embarks on an adventure that is as physically demanding as it is introspective, where each climb pushes her to reconsider her limits. Alongside her are two exceptional climbers, Jack Lambert and Dierdre Wolownick, passionate septuagenarians who pave the way for her and prove that it is always possible to push one's boundaries in extreme sports. Driven by radically different philosophies and life paths, these inspiring mentors demonstrate that age is not a barrier, but a new starting point. At 71, Dierdre, mother of the legendary Alex Honnold, became the oldest woman to summit El Capitan. At 73, Jack seeks to pass on his experience to the next generation. For Alexandra, this encounter proves to be a catalyst: confronted with her fears, she discovers what it truly means to step outside her comfort zone. Thus, from dream to reality, her group of young climbers unexpectedly find themselves in the big leagues.

Technical information

Duration: 74 minutes

Language: French with English subtitles

Filming: 4k - color

Ratio scope | Sound 5.1

DCP - ProRes - H264

Filming location: Canada (Quebec)

Country of action: Canada (Quebec)

Festivals and awards

26th Outaouais Film Festival - Gatineau, Canada / April 2025

29th Fantasia International Film Festival - Montreal, Canada / July 2025 - Silver Audience Award - Best Quebec Feature Film

8th Montana International Film Festival - Billings, Montana, USA / September 2025

10th Ulsan Ulju Mountain Film Festival - Ulsan, South Korea / September 2025

Director

Alexandra Elkin

Biography

After twelve years working as a grip on film sets, 34-year-old Alexandra Elkin is embarking on directing her first feature-length documentary, Au pied du mur (Inner Walls). She graduated in 2013 from Concordia University in Montreal with a degree in film studies and art history.

Filmography

First film

Director's Note

In my first feature-length documentary, Inner Walls, I wanted to bring to the screen an emotionally charged vertical odyssey. The film follows Alexandra, a woman in her thirties, and her amateur climbing friends as they attempt a monumental challenge: climbing El Capitan, the legendary wall in Yosemite National Park, California, usually reserved for the world's climbing elite. In this audacious adventure, the group is guided by two exceptional mentors: Dierdre Wolownick, the oldest woman to have conquered El Capitan and mother of the renowned Alex Honnold (Free Solo), and Jack Lambert, a seasoned 75-year-old climber. Inner Walls explores the notion of limits—recognizing them, challenging them, redefining them, and accepting them. Through breathtaking images, the film inspires viewers to pursue their most ambitious dreams. Each protagonist faces their own challenges, whether related to age, skills, or fear, demonstrating that it is possible to age with grace and courage. The majestic scale of Yosemite National Park and the feat of climbing El Capitan deserve to be experienced on the big screen. Through Inner Walls, I hope that every viewer will find the impetus to listen to their own voice and dare to climb their own peaks, whatever they may be. Enjoy the film!

Producer

Serge Desrosiers

Biography

Co-founder, president and executive producer of Vital Productions, Serge Desrosiers is the producer behind numerous projects, including the documentaries Mon Oncle Patof (2021), Amour Cougar : au-delà du mythe (2017) and Lise Watier : une vie à entreprendre (2014), several short films such as Pacific Bell and Ange & Ovni, and Renée Beaulieu's feature film Habiter la Maison (2025). Also a director of photography, he is a leading figure in the Quebec film industry, where he has worked for nearly 30 years.

In 2009, he co-founded Vital Productions with director and content producer Sandrine Béchade, and completed training in television and film management at HEC Montréal to add production to his already extensive career.

He brings his deep knowledge of the industry to Vital Productions' projects while continuing to work as a director of photography. Serge Desrosiers also shares his expertise as a speaker in Los Angeles and Paris, notably at the American Film Market Association and Ciné-Québec. Deeply involved in his field, he has served on the boards of the Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television, the Sainte-Adèle Chamber of Commerce, the CLD des Pays-d'en-Haut and the Canadian Society of Cinematographers.

Filmography

LES CHRYSALIDES, documentary feature, 2026

UN RENVERSEMENT, documentary feature, 2026

TIGHT LETTUCE, feature film, 2026

L'AMOUR DU GROS BALLON, documentary feature, 2026

HERBY, documentary feature, 2026

AU PIED DU MUR, documentary feature, 2026

YEGOLÉ, MON AMOUR, short documentary, 2026

RETOUR À TADOU, short film, 2025

MARCHE AU PAYS RÉEL, documentary feature, 2025

UNE DERNIÈRE CICATRICE, documentary feature, 2025

HABITER LA MAISON, feature film, 2025