The narrative is a familiar one: a young celebrity with no climbing background and minimal training manages to summit Mount Everest, overcoming considerable odds. French YouTuber Ines Benazzouz, widely recognized as Inoxtag, brought this story to life with a documentary spanning over two hours, chronicling his year-long preparation for the ultimate challenge. The film, titled 'Kaizen,' was a resounding success upon its release this past weekend. Young fans eagerly lined up for a preview screening in Paris, and the documentary garnered over 11 million views within its first 24 hours on YouTube. The platform hailed it as 'undoubtedly one of the biggest launches in the history' of YouTube in France, although a spokesperson contacted by AFP could not provide a specific ranking.
The 22-year-old content creator began posting video game footage in his mid-teens, and his dynamic energy quickly propelled him to fame among young French audiences. He boasts over eight million subscribers on YouTube and more than 10 million followers across other platforms. 'I've always enjoyed adventures — when I was younger, they were in video games,' he told AFP in an interview prior to the film's release. After years of immersing himself in games like Minecraft and Fortnite, he expressed a desire for these experiences to be real. Inoxtag's content is consistently upbeat, featuring challenge videos such as '30 seconds to save a life' or 'Five days to walk across Corsica,' while also addressing serious environmental concerns. His film delivers the tension and personal drama typical of online documentaries, while also tackling issues like over-tourism and pollution.
While fans have been captivated by the movie, the French press has been less enthusiastic. Liberation newspaper criticized the filmmakers for overlooking the contributions of the Sherpas, the Nepalese guides who assist climbers — though some later joined Inoxtag on stage in Paris. Mountaineer and photographer Pascal Tournaire described the movie as 'very egotistical' and argued that the YouTube star had not accomplished a significant feat. Conversely, Mathis Dumas, the climber who assisted Inoxtag in his preparation, praised the young star's 'real love' for the mountain. Fans gathered outside the cinema in Paris were unwavering in their support.
'I know many people climb the mountain without filming themselves,' said 19-year-old student Lucie Bonin. 'But it's incredible that a YouTuber is entertaining us like this, simply by setting such ambitious goals.' The premise of 'Kaizen' bears a resemblance to a movie plot, which is perhaps unsurprising given Inoxtag's inspiration from the 2017 French comedy 'The Climb,' based on the true story of a young man from the Paris suburbs who attempts to conquer Everest to impress his girlfriend. The online star acknowledges that his motivations are as much rooted in fantasy as they are in real-world concerns.
In an interview with AFP, Inoxtag cited legendary Japanese comic creator Eiichiro Oda, whose 'One Piece' series is the best-selling manga of all time, as one of his great inspirations. 'If he comes across my documentary, I'd just like to say thank you for making me believe that dreams can come true,' he said of Oda. The social media star made a grand farewell to his fans in early April, vowing to abstain from all social media during his ascent. His absence sparked tension and speculation — would he reach the summit? While it's no spoiler to reveal that he did, Inoxtag was keen to downplay the pre-release tension, stating: 'I don't want everyone to focus too much on whether I succeeded or failed. I want people to see a bit of the journey I made to get there.'
