From the Beauty of Everest to the Climate Crisis: ‘Road to Everest’ Screened in Hong Kong
Nepali documentary film Road to Everest, which explores the courage, struggles, dreams and changing Himalayan environment surrounding Mount Everest, was given a special screening on Sunday at Sunbeam Whampoa Cinema in Hung Hom, Hong Kong.
The screening drew a packed audience, with Nepali and Indian communities living in Hong Kong joined by viewers from China, the United Kingdom, the Philippines, the United States, Indonesia and several other countries. The premiere was also attended by around half a dozen Chinese mountaineers from Hong Kong who have successfully climbed Mount Everest.
Audiences praised the documentary for its presentation, subject matter and powerful message, with many saying the film offered them an opportunity to experience Mount Everest from an unusually close perspective. Several viewers said they felt as though they were personally part of the journey to the world’s highest peak while watching the film.
Running for 50 minutes, Road to Everest follows a journey from sea level to the summit of Mount Everest, exploring the challenges of mountaineering, human courage, the vital contribution of the Sherpa community and the rapidly changing Himalayan environment under the impact of climate change.
At the heart of the documentary is the Everest journey of Raj Gurung, a man in his fifties, who challenges age and personal limitations in pursuit of his dream of standing on the summit.
Several of the documentary’s key figures were also present at 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 Mount Everest 18 times, while Nima Gyalzen Sherpa has reached the summit 11 times.
Director Nirmal Shrestha said the documentary was created not merely 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 added that the documentary is intended to serve as an important record for future generations, preserving the story of the Himalayan landscape as experienced by the present generation.
At the event, Tulsi Kumar Gurung, Chairman of We Will Rise Foundation, highlighted the documentary’s message on the changes taking place in the Himalayan region as a result of climate change.
He said the team aims to take Road to Everest to international film festivals around the world to raise global awareness about climate change and the need to protect the Himalayas. He also expressed the belief that the documentary can play an important role in introducing Nepal’s Himalayan heritage, tourism and environmental concerns to international audiences.
The documentary’s story was written by journalist Santosh Acharya and Nirmal Shrestha. The film has been produced in both Nepali and English.
Following its successful special screenings in Nepal, the Hong Kong Grand Premiere marks another step in Road to Everest’s growing international journey. According to the production team, plans are underway to take the documentary to international film festivals, special screenings and cinemas in different countries.
The enthusiastic response in Hong Kong, the production team said, has further strengthened its effort to take the story of Road to Everest a story that begins in Nepal and reaches beyond its mountains to audiences around the world.
Photo : Swadesh Maharjan
