HONG KONG: Nepali documentary Road to Everest, which explores the courage, struggles and dreams surrounding Mount Everest as well as the rapidly changing Himalayan environment, was given a special screening Sunday at Sunbeam Whampoa Cinema in Hung Hom, Hong Kong.
The screening drew a packed audience, including members of Hong Kong’s Nepali and Indian communities as well as viewers from China, the United Kingdom, the Philippines, the United States, Indonesia and several other countries. Around half a dozen Chinese mountaineers based in Hong Kong who have climbed Everest also attended the premiere.
Audiences praised the documentary for its presentation, subject matter and message. Several viewers said it gave them an unusually close experience of Everest and made them feel as though they were part of the journey to the world’s highest peak.
The 50-minute documentary follows a journey from sea level to the summit of Everest, exploring the challenges of mountaineering, human courage, the contribution of the Sherpa community and the rapidly changing Himalayan environment under the impact of climate change.
At the heart of the film is the Everest journey of Raj Gurung, a man in his fifties pursuing his dream of reaching the summit.
Several key figures featured in the documentary attended the Hong Kong screening, including record-setting mountaineers Phurba Tenzing Sherpa and Nima Gyalzen Sherpa, as well as Vinod Gurung and Suraj Gurung. Phurba Tenzing Sherpa has summited Everest 18 times, while Nima Gyalzen Sherpa has reached the summit 11 times.
Director Nirmal Shrestha said the documentary was made not simply to introduce Everest to audiences, but to encourage them to understand the mountain and what it represents.
“We made this film not just to introduce Everest, but to help people understand it,” Shrestha said. “Everest is not simply a mountain. It represents Nepal’s courage, dreams, struggles, identity and future.”
Shrestha said the documentary is also intended to serve as an important record for future generations, documenting how the Himalayan landscape is changing and how it is experienced by the present generation.
Tulsi Kumar Gurung, chairman of the We Will Rise Foundation, highlighted the film’s message about the changes taking place in the Himalayas as a result of climate change.
He said the team plans to take Road to Everest to international film festivals to raise global awareness about climate change and the need to protect the Himalayas. He said the documentary could also help introduce Nepal’s Himalayan heritage, tourism and environmental concerns to international audiences.
The documentary was written by journalist Santosh Acharya and Shrestha and produced in both Nepali and English.
Following special screenings in Nepal, the Hong Kong premiere marks another step in the documentary’s international journey. According to the production team, plans are underway to take the film to international festivals, special screenings and cinemas in different countries.
The enthusiastic response in Hong Kong, the team said, has given fresh momentum to its effort to take Road to Everest-a story that begins in Nepal and extends beyond its mountains-to audiences around the world.
