Not a film project,
but a life project of mine.
I’ve been climbing for over 13 years now.
Ever since I started, I’ve always had this idea of getting out on a big wall one day.
It felt like the purest form of the sport.
I’ve tried a number of times—
asking friends at the gym if they could take me up there.
All of them brushed me off.
Looking back, I understand why.
So I carried on.
Spent most of my time climbing alone at the gym.
Day in and day out, pulling at my fingers and shoulders,
knowing I was nowhere near the level of the athletes around me.
I’ve been around long enough to see that most people come and go from this sport.
There were moments I questioned it—
what the purpose of all this really was,
and whether I’d eventually just let it go.
It wasn’t until I reconnected with my nephew, Harrison.
He had only been climbing a few years,
but was already living on the road—fully committed.
I asked him if he could take me up there someday.
He said yes immediately.
Standing at the base of the wall, looking up—
that was the part that scared me the most.
Knowing what was ahead.
Everything after that felt like something else entirely.
Pure bliss.
This had been a dream of mine for a long time—
to scale something of this size.
I guess all I really needed
was someone close to give me that final push.
Hiking back down after the ascent,
it felt like I had finally earned something.
Like I had followed in the footsteps of those before me—
a kind of rite of passage.
—
Harrison—
thank you for your patience, your energy,
for taking care of everything along the way—
cooking, guiding, even documenting my first time up.
As this chapter closes for me,
I’m watching the beginning of yours.
—
Climbing has always been one of the few things
that lets me express who I am.
And that’s why I’ll never stop.
I am truly thankful to have been able to find my tribe throughout these years of living in LA. Once I feel surrounded by people where we have mutual respect for each other, and are willing to uplift each other’s strengths.. they’re the ones I want to stick around with until the end!
-
THE SHOW
DPR (Dream Perfect Regime) @dprian@dpr_official
Produced by DPR VISUALS Executive Producer: DPR IAN Directed / Edited / VFX / Colored by DPR IAN
Starring: DPR IAN
Co-Director & Director of Photography: Jay Fang Co-Director & 1st Assistant Director (KOR): Hoin Cho
Visual Director / Stylist: Joonyong An, teamhouse
Producer: Ronald Kwan
Choreographer: Hugh Aparente
Production Designer: Hani Kim
Rest of crew in comments*
