Step by Step

Step by Step

Step by Step is an intimate, psychologically raw portrait of Michał, a wheelchair user facing the realities of spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) as he embarks on a daring adventure through the harsh landscapes of the Himalayas. With his sights set on Annapurna (8,000 m), Michał drives a specially designed vehicle through challenging terrain, determined to reach new heights despite the odds stacked against him. As the expedition unfolds, plans unravel and obstacles mount, yet Michał's unwavering spirit drives him forward.

“The most difficult thing is that you are completely dependent on other people”, says 38-year-old Michał Woroch, a wheelchair user growing weaker each year. Michał, who has undertaken numerous challenging expeditions, including a year-long drive in a Defender from Ushuaia to Alaska, feels truly free only when he travels. He longs for love, acceptance, and the chance to push his limits. Now, he is heading to the Himalayas—because there’s nowhere higher to go. His time is finite. One day, SMA (spinal muscular atrophy) will confine him to bed, rendering him entirely reliant on others. Expeditions are both his source of mental strength and his undoing; they empower him, but they also accelerate the day he will lose all physical autonomy.

With this in mind, Michał is determined to live life to its fullest, even if it means undertaking an exceptionally challenging expedition to the Himalayas. The journey proves to be a logistical nightmare. In Nepal, he and his team—including Bartosz Mrozek, a 47-year-old wheelchair user and engineer who designs rovers for rugged terrain—struggle with bureaucracy and mounting obstacles. Plans go awry, winter sets in across the Himalayas, and tensions rise within the group. Will they be able to continue?

Narrated by Michał through his personal journal, the film captures his struggle and vulnerability: “I am a man who has no strength…”

Script Eliza Kubarska and Michał Woroch

Director Eliza Kubarska and Michał Woroch

Producer Monika Braid

Cinematographer Marcin Sauter

Production Companies
Braidmade Films, MX35

Funding Polish Film Institute