The North Face: The Invisible Wall

Global Brand Campaign | Concept, Production, Photography & Motion

Can a trail reveal more than a border?

Inspired by the Tohono O'odham Salt Pilgrimage, an ancient journey that once crossed today's U.S.–Mexico border, The Invisible Wall explored how landscapes can connect people even when politics divide them. The project became the next chapter of The North Face's iconic Walls Are Meant For Climbing campaign, reimagining the idea of what it means to overcome a wall.

I conceived, pitched, produced, and photographed the campaign in partnership with The North Face and VICE. Together with three elite North Face ultrarunners, we traveled nearly the length of the U.S.–Mexico border, from West Texas to the Pacific Ocean, documenting the landscapes, border communities, and conversations we encountered along the way.

Rather than telling a political story, the film focused on the shared experience of movement through the landscape. Three runners who had never met before, each carrying their own perspective on the border, discovered common ground through the simple act of running together. Along the way, we met residents, tribal members, ranchers, and local communities whose lives are shaped by the border every day.

The campaign combined documentary filmmaking with expedition photography, creating a body of work that challenged audiences to look beyond the physical barrier and consider the landscapes, histories, and people that exist on both sides. The Invisible Wall was later recognized with The North Face Explore Fund, supporting continued documentary storytelling in wild and culturally significant places.

The project remains one of the most rewarding productions of my career, bringing together expedition photography, documentary filmmaking, and a belief that the strongest stories often begin by listening.