A visual journey between Milano and the Alps. A story made of departures and returns, of people and places that seek each other.

Told in chapters, the film explores the deep connection between the city and its mountains through diverse perspectives — athletes, poets, witnesses, and descendants all bound by a shared vitality.

Historic climbing routes first opened by Vitale Bramani, alpinist and Vibram founder, are repeated by today’s climbers: Barbara Zangerl on the Pale di San Martino, Matteo della Bordella in Valle Maira, and Pietro Vidi on the Pizzo Badile. These ascents mark the meeting point between alpinism past and present.

The story is enriched by Colomba Fasana’s moving recollections of Bramani, and by the poetry of Antonia Pozzi, where the silent beauty of the mountains mirrors the vibrant energy of the city.

Closing the circle, Matteo Bramani, Vitale’s great-grandson, travels from the Duomo of Milan to the Grignetta with mountain guide Paolo Marazzi, by train and bicycle, to climb the Via degli Accademici, first opened in 1924.

Energia vitale A visual journey between Milano and the Alps is the thread that ties these stories together, embodied by Vibram, the authentic bridge between urban and alpine worlds.

Director Biography - Achille Mauri

Achille Mauri is a director and photographer from Italy. With a family passion for mountaineering, he finds constant inspiration in the outdoors. Nature serves as the muse for his long observations, with its endless perfection becoming the focus of his photography. His visual language now blends with the urban environment and anthropological influences from his immersive trips around the world.

Director Statement

This film explores the enduring connection between city and mountains, where past and present meet through movement, memory, and shared energy. Through historic routes and contemporary journeys, it reflects on how places shape people across time.