Wanda Rutkiewicz. The Last Expedition

Wanda Rutkiewicz. The Last Expedition (Polish: Wanda Rutkiewicz. Ostatnia wyprawa) is a gripping documentary by Eliza Kubarska that retraces the life, climbs, and enigmatic disappearance of Polish mountaineer Wanda Rutkiewicz.

Using a deeply personal audio diary, recorded months before she vanished during her final Himalayan ascent, Wanda reflects on love, ambition, motherhood, and the meaning of risk.

The film blends archive footage, interviews with mountaineering legends like Reinhold Messner, Krzysztof Wielicki, and Carlos Carsolio, and on-location scenes in the Himalayas to illuminate the myths and truths surrounding her last climb.
Rutkiewicz, the first Pole to summit Everest and the first woman to conquer K2, disappeared in May 1992 on Kangchenjunga. Her body was never found.

Through the film’s journey, Kubarska interrogates both the triumphs and contradictions of a pioneering climber whose legacy continues to provoke fascination.

The documentary has won recognition, including the Polish Film Academy’s national award for Best Documentary in 2025.