‘Road to Everest’ Receives Strong Audience Response at Nepal Premiere
Nepali documentary ‘Road to Everest’, a compelling exploration of the courage, struggles, dreams and rapidly changing Himalayan environment surrounding Mount Everest, held its Nepal premiere on Saturday at QFX Cinemas, Chhaya Center, Thamel, Kathmandu.
The premiere brought together a notable gathering of personalities and representatives from diverse sectors, including the media, education, tourism, mountaineering and the arts, along with film enthusiasts and audiences. Three special screenings were organized as part of the premiere, including a dedicated screening for school and college owners, principals and representatives from Kathmandu’s education sector.
Speaking about the film, director Nirmal Shrestha said, “We made this film not simply to introduce Mount Everest, but to help people understand it. Everest is more than just a mountain it represents our pride, and is deeply connected to Nepali courage, dreams, struggle, identity and our future.”
He added: “For generations, the story of our Everest has often been told through other voices. This film is rooted in the belief that we must now tell the story of our own mountains ourselves. We have our own stories and our own perspective, and we should be able to tell our Himalayan story in our own voice.”
Shrestha further described the documentary as a record for future generations. “This film is also a document for future generations. Even if the Himalayas were to disappear decades from now, this film will remain, preserving the mountains as our generation experienced them—their beauty, their struggles and the stories connected to them. One of the film’s important purposes is to make audiences feel that Mount Everest is a source of pride for our country.”
At the event, Tulsi Gurung, President of We Will Rise Foundation, said that although Mount Everest is already known throughout the world, the documentary was created to help audiences understand its deeper meaning and significance from a Nepali perspective.
The 50-minute documentary follows a remarkable journey from sea level to the summit of the world’s highest mountain, exploring the challenges of mountaineering, human courage, the contribution of the Sherpa community and the rapidly changing Himalayan environment driven by climate change.
At the heart of the documentary is the Everest journey of Raj Gurung, a man in his 50s, whose pursuit of the summit challenges age and personal limitations. According to the production team, his journey goes beyond mountaineering, becoming a story of dreams, struggle, self-belief and human determination.
The documentary features renowned mountaineers Phurba Tenzing Sherpa and Nima Gyalzen Sherpa, alongside Binod Gurung, Suraj Gurung and Nirmal Shrestha. The story was written by journalist Santosh Acharya and Nirmal Shrestha. The film has been produced in both Nepali and English.
According to the production team, ‘Road to Everest’ contains no artificial or computer-generated visuals, with the filmmakers relying on authentic footage to capture the real journey and environment.
Produced by We Will Rise Foundation, the documentary aims to inspire audiences while promoting Nepal’s Himalayan heritage and tourism on the international stage. It also seeks to raise awareness of the growing impact of climate change on the Himalayan region.
Following its Nepal premiere, the production team is preparing to take ‘Road to Everest’ to audiences across Nepal, as well as to international film festivals and cinemas.
The documentary is scheduled for its international premiere in Hong Kong on September 13, marking the next stage of its journey toward international audiences.
‘Road to Everest’ is more than a film about climbing the world’s highest mountain. It is a story about who we are, how we see our mountains, and why we must tell our own Himalayan story.
Following the screenings, participants and audience members responded positively to the documentary, praising its subject matter, presentation and powerful message. Many appreciated the film for offering a fresh perspective on Mount Everest and for presenting the story of Nepal’s Himalaya through a distinctly Nepali voice and perspective.
