Robert Nicod

Robert Nicod, born in 1954 in Toulon, is a director, author, photographer, and cinematographer primarily recognized for his documentaries about free climbing, the mountains, and exploring the great outdoors.

Robert Nicod has been mountaineering since the age of 10 and began photography at the age of 12. He later abandoned architecture studies to devote himself fully to his passions: the mountains and images. Passionate about reportage in general, he worked for various magazines, both sports and otherwise.

In 1983, he published the book Opéra Vertical with Patrick Edlinger, the result of three years of filming on the rock faces of the Verdon. That same year, he was the cinematographer and cameraman for Jean-Paul Janssen’s “Verdon – Saussois 1983,” which documented the FFM climbing gathering in Saussois and the Verdon, then at the forefront of high-difficulty climbing worldwide. This event, which brought together generations of the greatest climbers of the era, including Patrick Edlinger, Jean-Claude Droyer, Jerry Moffatt, Jean-Claude Droyer, Robert Paragot, Lucien Bérardini, Ron Fawcett, Jean-Pierre Bouvier, and other major figures, symbolized the emergence of modern sport climbing as a practice in its own right in France.

In 1985, Robert Nicod returned to the helm and directed the documentary “E Pericoloso Sporgersi,” filmed in the Verdon Gorges, in which he featured four young climbers, including Catherine Destivelle and Monica Dalmasso. In 1986, he was the director of photography on Opéra Vertical, the eponymous title of his book, directed by Jean-Paul Janssen, starring Patrick Edlinger and Jean-Paul Lemercier in the Verdon Gorges.

In 1992, he directed “Totem,” a documentary acclaimed for its visual quality and its approach to climbing, notably featuring Ron Kauk, filmed in Monument Valley, USA. In 2003, he directed “Hook or Book,” a documentary filmed in Yosemite National Park on the famous El Capitan face with a huge cast including Leo Houlding, Jean-Marc Troussier, Scott Burk, Jim Bridwell, and others. He is also the author of “The Great Outdoors of the American West,” a documentary exploring the landscapes and culture of this region. His other major works include “A Breath of Freedom” (2012), “Take Me Up There” (2012), and “You Will Be a Man, My Son” (2004).

Robert Nicod’s entire filmography bears witness to the key moments of the golden age of world free climbing, but also and above all, to his passion for nature and wide open spaces, exploration and the transmission of the spirit of adventure.