A documentary about climbing, bodies and belonging.
Climbing can change the way you feel about yourself. There’s the satisfaction of working out a route, the trust you put in someone holding the rope, and the friendships that grow from spending time together at the wall or out on the rock.
But feeling welcome in those spaces isn’t something everyone can take for granted. From finding equipment that fits to feeling understood by the people around you, there are practical and personal barriers that shape who gets to enjoy the sport.
Kumbi’s Big Climbing Adventure is a documentary we’re developing at Wild Light Films with climber and community organiser Kumbi Kariwo. Through her experiences and the people she meets, the film will explore who gets to feel at home in climbing—and who is left on the outside.
As a black, plus-sized climber, Kumbi brings a personal perspective to questions of access and belonging. Her experience is the starting point for an exploration of inclusion and exclusion across the climbing industry.
Along the way, she’ll meet people who experience the sport differently. Their stories will bring moments of recognition, introduce unfamiliar barriers and raise questions about what it takes to feel comfortable in a climbing space.
Through these encounters, we want to explore how equipment, teaching, facilities and attitudes affect people’s experiences. We’re just as interested in the encouragement, humour and friendships that make them want to keep climbing.
We’re working with Kumbi to develop the story, with space for her experiences and the relationships that emerge to guide its direction. At its heart is a question: what makes it possible to feel that you belong in a sport you love?
We’re developing the project as a 15-minute documentary, with filming planned over approximately a year. Jamie will direct and edit, Kumbi will co-produce, and Owain Kelly will compose the original score.
We’re aiming to complete the film in autumn 2027 and will share updates as Kumbi’s big climbing adventure unfolds.
If this story matters to you, we’d love your support.
To follow the film’s progress, hear stories from behind the scenes and find out when and where you can watch it, join our mailing list.
