Tempting Fear

Andreas Fransson is an extreme skier who has garnered attention for dicey first ascents in a half-dozen countries and a horrific accident that nearly killed him. On the outside, he’s an amazing skier who isn’t afraid to confront massive danger, and a deeper look reveals an inward-gazing individual whose musings about life on the edge are thoughtful and eloquent. “Could you get the thrill of your life and feel truly alive if you knew they were perfectly safe?” he asks. “Would your consciousness be completely in the moment if you didn’t know this was serious business? Would it be a game worth playing at all if the outcome was certain?” Tempting Fear — a documentary by Mike Douglas, who directed The Freedom Chair (Mountainfilm 2012) — follows Fransson as he navigates ice- and cliff-strewn slopes of Denali and Chamonix, ponders mortality and digs into what motivates him.