Projecting what lies within.
Dropping Molly offers a beacon of light in a complex tangle of what it means to be human.
The latest work by filmmaker and climber Cedar Wright breaks away from his lighthearted storytelling we’ve come to expect. Set against a cutting-edge climbing objective, we’re thrust abruptly into a raw and writhing journey of reflection, recovery, and redemption. Following the story of rock climber Molly Mitchell on her quest to climb the hardest route of her life, she lets us watch closely as her propensity to dance with danger turns to obsession, consuming her world and leading to a life-altering injury. What starts as a climbing film about pushing limits quickly morphs to a story of survival and transformation as we witness her desperate struggle with the inner demons of an unquiet mind.
“People need to be able to understand that it’s okay to go to those places, to feel that deeply.” Molly speaks through the glow of a Google Meet window with the same authenticity she boldly demonstrates in the film. It’s an invitation to lean into a conversation that’s been dying to come out, detailing a journey through mental health and the importance of addressing it in sport. The intensity of her attention and the intimacy of her film leaves no room for talk of the weather. It feels as if we’ve connected deeply many times before, though we’ve only just met.
Seeking to destigmatize mental illness through courageous example, Molly offers a startling and shameless look into anxiety and bipolar disorder, a diagnosis burdened by enormous stigma. The film offers no blatant lesson, no pedantic message. Rather, it provides a guiding light through a deeply personal portrait, and the lesson is yours to interpret.
Our innermost emotional experiences vary wildly and are nothing if not complex. Bringing this honesty to light is a long overdue subject increasingly moving to the front of our cultural dialogue. But so often we’re afraid, embarrassed, ashamed of our own inner worlds which feel so far away from what others must be feeling. So isolated from the truth of what we share. Sport and adventure often remove us even further, building an illusory wall of toughness and resilience that doesn’t always square with what’s happening inside. In leading by example, Molly hopes to push the narrative forward, offering a life raft to others adrift in their own darkness.
“You can be a badass and still cry, that's something that we don't always see in other climbing films… sometimes you go through stuff before you do something big. And that's okay. It's not this linear thing.”
Molly’s vulnerability in the film feels, at times, almost invasive, as though we’re witnessing something too private. Glossy visuals are replaced with raw footage, captured in real moments of struggle, with great care taken not to smooth out the edges. What the film delivers is real, deep, and rad. A badass climbing film about projecting the toughest ascent any of us can face, reckoning with our deepest selves.
We were honored to host Molly at the Rock Climbing Show on November 15 at the Rio Theatre, where she introduced the film before its screening. For those who couldn’t attend in person, the film was also available to stream with our Online Film Pass.
If you’re struggling with your mental health, you’re not alone. Visit Canadian Mental Health Association for guidance and support.
