About

Known credits:
29
Birthday:
1949-04-01
Place of birth:
Chamonix-Mont-Blanc, Haute-Savoie, France
Website:

Denis Ducroz

Overview

Denis Ducroz, born in 1949, is a French Chamonix-based mountain guide, filmmaker, director, and writer.

He has established himself as one of the most active filmmakers in the field of high mountain and expeditions, both as a cameraman and director, collaborating on numerous films dedicated to the mountain world. His audiovisual output has expanded over time to include social, economic, environmental, and cultural themes, while remaining focused on the world's mountains and their populations. Among the most notable is "Les inconnus du Mont-Blanc" (1986), a film that recreates the first ascent of Mont Blanc by Jacques Balmat and Michel Paccard, immersing the viewer in the minds of the mountaineering pioneers. He also directed "Le Refuge des Cosmiques" (1991), a documentary produced as part of the "Montagne" collection for France 3 Grenoble, which traces the history and reconstruction of the Cosmiques refuge at the Col du Midi, on the Mont Blanc massif. He says: "Television allowed me to travel extensively and to decipher something other than the Vallot guide. I read, from the authoritative pens of a mountaineer and a sociologist, that mountain cinema didn't exist because filmmakers knew nothing about the mountains and mountaineers were barely capable of skewering their exploits. Double praise."

In his sixties, Denis Ducroz turned to writing novels, publishing in 2016 N’approchez Pas De L’Île Dawson, a story inspired by an expedition to Patagonia, which earned him the 2017 Henri Queffélec Prize awarded by the Livre & Mer festival in Concarneau. He continued his literary work with Le Pont De Neige (2018) and a biography of the famous mountaineer Valery Babanov (2023). His career demonstrates a deep passion for the mountains, which he explores through adventure, images, and writing.

Known for

Acting

2003 Women of K2 Actor Self 59
Average
1999 First On The Rope Actor Le guide sourd 69
Fair
1988 La Face De L'Ogre Actor Paul 59
Average
1983 Patagonie Force 10 Actor Self - Mountain Guide & Filmaker 58
Average
1981 Under The Eye Of Qomolangma Actor Self 58
Average

Directing

2002 The Castaways Of Mont Blanc Directing Director 58
Average
1986 The Conquest Of La Meije Directing Director 58
Average
1986 The Unfamous of Mont Blanc Directing Director 58
Average
1983 Patagonie Force 10 Directing Director 58
Average
1981 Under The Eye Of Qomolangma Directing Director 58
Average
1980 Where Are You Going Basile? Directing Director 58
Average

Writing

2002 The Castaways Of Mont Blanc Writing Writer 58
Average
1986 The Conquest Of La Meije Writing Writer 58
Average
1986 The Unfamous of Mont Blanc Writing Writer 58
Average
1981 Under The Eye Of Qomolangma Writing Writer 58
Average
1980 Where Are You Going Basile? Writing Writer 58
Average

Crew

2015 Piège Blanc Crew Stunt Double 58
Average
2012 Messner Crew Cinematography 58
Average
2002 The Red Summer Crew Technical Advisor 67
Fair
2002 The Castaways Of Mont Blanc Crew Cinematography 58
Average
1999 The World Is Not Enough Crew Security Coordinator 62
Fair
1993 Au Nord De L'Hiver Crew Cinematography 58
Average
1988 Baquet's Comeback Crew Cinematography 58
Average
1987 Trilogy for One Man Crew Cinematography 58
Average
1987 The Measure of the Feat Crew Cinematography N/A
N/A
1986 The Conquest Of La Meije Crew Cinematography 58
Average
1983 Patagonie Force 10 Crew Cinematography 58
Average
1981 Under The Eye Of Qomolangma Crew Cinematography 58
Average
1980 Where Are You Going Basile? Crew Cinematography 58
Average