Jérémy and I have been walking and skiing across Europe for the past ten years. We are attracted to diverse geographies and the discovery of a region through the gentleness of slow travel. When we met in Switzerland, the objective was to take on a big project together in a place we had never been before. The American continent sounded promising for many reasons. Journeying from Alaska to Patagonia, we would discover a myriad of topographies—tundra, glaciers, taigas, jungles, deserts, and altiplanos [high plateaus] as well as paradisiacal beaches and the Argentinean pampas [low grasslands]—connecting the world's most beautiful landscapes in a single journey. The Pan-American Highway is the longest motorway on the planet, stretching from the 70th parallel north to the 54th parallel south. This is only possible on the American continent, so we thought we’d give it a go!

When we started, I didn't intend to make a documentary. We set out to cross the American continent by bike and have a transcendent experience, putting aside the journalist in me. We had organized exchanges with French schools and regularly sent videos to about 6,000 students. That's why we started filming ourselves—to share the experience with the children. Over time, we began to enjoy reflecting on our experiences in this way.

Talking about my accidents and sharing my emotions was therapeutic for me. I continually asked myself the question: What message would I want to convey about such an intense two-and-a-half-year journey? That's when the director in me took over. I realized the importance and universal appeal of this story. We will all suffer defeat at some point in our lives, and I think many people can identify with my and Jérémy's experience.