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A recent movie showcasing the dangerous and unlawful stunts of two well-known “rooftoppers” debuted at the Sundance film festival, receiving positive reviews and being likened to the award-winning film Free Solo about climber Alex Honnold, and the Sundance favorite from 16 years ago, Man on Wire, which followed urban tightrope walker Philippe Petit.
The film Skywalkers: A Love Story debuted at the Utah film festival on Thursday night. It follows the story of Angela Nikolau and Vanya Kuznetsov, a Russian couple who are also known as Ivan Beerkus, as they navigate a romantic relationship while illegally climbing skyscrapers and recording their stunts for social media. At the start of the documentary, the couple is attempting to climb Merdeka 118 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, which is the world’s second-tallest building. However, their climb was interrupted by guards during the final stages of construction due to the distraction of the World Cup final in December 2022. This event sparked an investigation by authorities in Malaysia.
Over a period of six years and across six countries, the film “Skywalkers” follows the journey of two individuals, directed by Jeff Zimbalist and Maria Bukhonina, as they delve into the contentious activity of “rooftopping.” This involves climbing buildings, spires, cranes, or other man-made structures without any safety equipment. The film captures their separate experiences in Russia and their eventual collaboration, as well as the events such as strict social media regulations in Russia and the conflict in Ukraine that influenced their decision to illegally climb Merdeka.
Beerkus, a skilled climber and videographer, gained popularity on social media for his daring rooftop selfies, with only the potential of a deadly fall separating him from the camera. His content attracted sponsors who supported him in taking on more dangerous challenges and reaching greater heights across the globe. Nikolau, the daughter of circus artists, spent her childhood in Kostroma, Russia with her grandmother after her father left the family and her mother succumbed to severe depression. She found solace and a sense of purpose in rooftopping, building a fanbase through her acrobatic poses on the brink of buildings.
Each on their own, they managed to make a living through the risky and perilous activity of extreme sports (at one point in the movie, Nikolau discovers that most of her previous rooftopping team from Moscow have passed away due to falls). As a team, they earned more money by incorporating their romantic relationship and taking high-altitude selfies while climbing various iconic structures.
The movie portrays rooftopping, also known as “skywalking” by the creative couple, as a symbol of trust in a romantic relationship. This idea is particularly challenging for Nikolau, who lives by the motto, “never depend on anyone but yourself.” The film showcases their profession as a type of heist, where they use various tactics to avoid getting caught by authorities while trespassing and disguising themselves. When confronted after scaling a cathedral in Paris and being arrested, Beerkus claims they are simply artists capturing the city from a high vantage point. The couple prides themselves on conducting “clean work” and although they acknowledge the risks, they argue that rooftopping is primarily an art and a sport. Nikolau justifies their illegal stunts by quoting an old circus saying, “Our true potential lies beyond our fears.”
She argues that it is not a dependence on adrenaline, but rather a dedication to personal development.
The movie Skywalkers explores the financial pressures that led to the couple’s increasingly dangerous stunts, including a planned acrobatic feat on top of Merdeka. This stunt is seen as a way to save their careers and relationship. Prior to the pandemic, the couple relied on sponsorships from Instagram to fund their travels and equipment, in exchange for daring videos. However, Covid put an end to this source of income, and Nikolau had to turn to modeling and creating sponsored content on social media. The political situation in Ukraine also affected their income, and Beerkus’s parents wanted him to take a job in trading, which he refused. In a last resort, the couple turned to non-fungible tokens (NFTs) using their stunt footage to support themselves. Additionally, Nikolau also creates paintings using sex toys, as seen on her Instagram.
The peak of Merdeka tower, which has never been climbed before, was the target of two groups who were arrested during their journey. This was seen as an opportunity to make money in a new and uncertain field, as described by Nikolau. Beerkus reveals that they used their remaining funds to travel to Bangkok, Thailand, a less strict country than Malaysia where they trained extensively for several months. The final part of the documentary has a heist-like atmosphere as the two prepare for their daring climb, gathering information and using drones to plan their ascent. Their acrobatic skills are put to the test as Beerkus lifts Nikolau above his head, her limbs outstretched, towards the top of the tower’s spire.
The making of the movie and its dangerous nature brings to mind Free Solo, where Jimmy Chin and Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi faced ethical dilemmas while documenting Honnold’s climb up El Capitan in Yosemite without any safety equipment. Free Solo received critical acclaim when it debuted at the 2018 Telluride and Toronto film festivals and ultimately won the Academy Award for best documentary.
The movie is currently looking for a distributor at Sundance.
Source: theguardian.com
