Obsession / Oderzhimost

Credits

cast

Sergey Firsov

Director

Biography

Sergey Firsov is a director and cinematographer specializing in action sports and outdoor adventure filmmaking. A former professional athlete in rowing and climbing, he brings a deep understanding of movement and extreme environments to his visual storytelling.Over the past years he has filmed across remote mountain regions including Kyrgyzstan, Kamchatka and the Alps, capturing athletes in challenging natural landscapes. His work combines documentary storytelling with high-energy sports cinematography.Obsession is his latest documentary film exploring the mindset and motivation behind pushing physical and mental limits in the mountains.

Filmography

2012 / The Rope, 43 min, documentary 2017 / The Rope-II, 120 min, documentary 2025 / OBSESSION, 65 min, documentary

Directors Statement

For many people snowboarding looks like a sport built on tricks, competition, and adrenaline. But when you spend enough time in the mountains, you begin to realize that something deeper is happening. I have worked for many years as a cinematographer in action sports, often filming athletes in remote and demanding environments. Unlike a traditional observer, I am usually part of the movement itself - riding alongside snowboarders, climbing with them into the mountains, or following them with a camera where the terrain becomes unpredictable. Over time I started asking myself a simple question: why do people keep coming back? Why do riders return again and again to the cold, the risk, the exhaustion - just for a few seconds of movement down a mountain? Obsession grew from the desire to explore that question. We filmed the project over several years in different parts of the world, from Kyrgyzstan to Kamchatka and the Alps. The film does not use actors or staged scenes. The people on screen are the same people who live this life every day - riders, filmmakers, guides, and friends connected by a shared passion. While making the film, I realized that this story is not only about snowboarding. It is also about continuity. Every generation of riders grows up inspired by those who came before, and eventually becomes the generation that inspires the next. Some things in life are difficult to explain logically. But they are easy to recognize when you see them. Maybe the best word for it is obsession.