realityinmind
The cinematography is very good. And it is exciting that everything was caught on film (the Sherpa fighting, the rescue effort, the politically-motivated protests, etc etc). But the documentary falls flat of following through with the intended story, and instead showcases how much of grandiose liar Russell Brice is. It seems that the filmmakers started out with the intention of capturing the expedition on film, but then the tragedy occurred so the filmmakers shifted direction and documented the rescue operation. Then protests began so the filmmakers again shifted direction and wanted to make it about the plight of the Sherpa. But at the same time all of these foreigners are whining about how they can't go up the mountain because the Sherpas are complaining that a chunk of their people died. So Russell Brice and a few privileged hikers decided to stage a counter-protest by inventing this story about how a few (invisible) Sherpas are threatening to kill everyone if they go up the mountain, so they are going to withdraw from Base Camp and make all of the Sherpas suffer their wrath and learn their lesson?! I can't believe that this Russell Brice guy invented a story about Sherpas threatening to kill people, and then basically told the Sherpas that it was in their best interest if the hikers leave, and then he told the hikers that the Sherpas wanted them to leave. Appalling. THAT is the real story here, but it is glossed over and the only person in the film complaining about him lying is edited into bits and pieces to make him sound confusing.
varsania
I watched this film expecting a documentary on life for Sherpa's on the mountain. However what I experienced was a great insight into the actual lives of the Sherpa's and how they are treated by the westerners. Unsurprisingly some tourists were quite rude and arrogant towards the Sherpa's, but what I did not expect to see was the complete lack of integrity and regard shown to the Sherpas by the expedition organisers. Richard Brice is a complete callous individual and his attitude after the avalanche was unconscionable. Making up lies and spreading rumours about the Sherpas trying to turn them against each other is vicious. I am glad that Phurba saw through it all. SOme of the tourists are very rude, especially the Americans. The lack of sympathy shown to the Sherpas after the avalanche by some of the tourists and expedition leaders is horrendous. Seeing the little boy cry after hearing that his dad died on the mountain was truly heartbreaking to watch.I am very glad I watched this documentary and am grateful to the people who made it as it has given me greater insight into the way humans treat each other in times of disaster. And it is not pretty.
grizzledgeezer
Isn't that grand?Russell Brice, the New Zealand owner of Himalayan Experience, is the sort of person one would cross the street simply to kick in the shins (or worse).His attitude towards the Sherpa is, at best, patronizing. He calls them "boys", and insists their unhappiness has been provoked by outside agitators. (One is surprised he doesn't say "Communists".)His attempts to communicate comprise utterly disingenuous remarks ("Please tell me if I've done anything to anger you"), and empty platitudes ("We've got to keep moving forward"). Nowhere does he suggest that the Sherpa's concerns are more important than the continued success of his business, complaining at one point that he can't recoup the cost of rope if the climb is canceled."Sherpa" is nothing if not an attack on the way the gross materialism of Western "culture" corrupts almost everything it touches. No longer do you have to struggle to put together your own expedition. The Sherpa "boys" will do //all// the work for you. Just fork over a lot of money. One is reminded of films in which African bearers lug the accoutrements of the Western wealthy, so they can have a comfortable journey.
punishable-by-death
Mount Everest brings to mind many things. High altitudes, freezing temperatures and an increasing number of foreigners climbing the peak, at one point resulting in a traffic jam of epic proportions. It has become a business, with the Sherpa people always in the background; rarely expressing any emotion, helping out willingly as it is often the only way that these people can earn themselves a living – risking their lives time and time again to help complete strangers.This film is told almost entirely from the perspective of the Sherpa. As we watch we see the insane risks that these people put themselves through, we also learn about the Sherpa as a native people. Deeply religious, they pray constantly that their journey will be successful and without death.Their prayers are of course no guarantee, and in 2013 an almost inconceivable incident happened at 21,000 feet: a fight broke out between the Sherpa and the climbers they had been helping. They felt disrespected by a western climber who had referred to one of them as a mother f***er, which is pretty much the worst thing you could say to one of these people.The small bits of footage captured from this incident show the usually calm and reserved Sherpa visibly angry. Tempers flared, rocks were thrown, as the Sherpa people finally let their voices be heard, knowing that foreign climbers see them almost as tools to help them achieve their goal, and don't respect them and their work as a result.That fight was the inspiration behind this Australian-made documentary as the filmmakers decided that to find out what had caused this tension, they should follow the Sherpa, interviewing them and their families, who often have a good sense of humour about a very dangerous job that their loved one is involved in. Also interviewed and extensively on camera is Russell Brice, who is one of many crew-leaders ready to lead his team to the summit. While he continues to fight for safer conditions on the mountain to this day, during the film he comes off as a bit of an insensitive douche; disrespecting the Sherpa and spreading rumours about them, while remaining blissfully ignorant of their hard work. His lack of respect is alarming given how much the Sherpa contribute to every climb.This latter sentiment is unfortunate, given the work these people do. One of their tasks is to transport all that is needed – for the foreign climbers – up the mountain to each base camp.The most brutal part of the Sherpa's journey is that of the ice wall, literally a strip of ice that can move at any second. It must be traversed at night where there is a smaller chance of the ice shifting. Giant blocks of ice threaten their journey, yet the Sherpa continue without fear. Somehow this bravery is largely ignored by many foreign climbers who see the mountain as a tourist hot-spot; the more people climbing, the better for business. We even see flat-screen televisions at base camp. The rise of interest in the mountain is also raising the risk exponentially as the Sherpa are forced to climb the mountain several times a year, some up to thirty times.This film is the anti-Everest. Looking even more stunning than that film, Sherpa charts the journey of the native Nepalese Phurba Tashin in the 2014 climbing season. What follows is a tragedy that leads to the Sherpa as a group making a list of demands, the meat of which involved compensation for unfortunate families left behind, as well as a rise in payment. For years the Sherpa have been silent, but here they become very vocal, accusing the government of taking their money; which is true in a sense, as they are paid pennies compared to what the business of climbing earns, parts of which go to the government. Their arguments were fair, but the reactions from some of the foreign climbers involved was disgusting to say the least, and shows just how little respect some of these foreign climbers have for the Sherpa despite the incredible work that they do, all of it so they can feed their family, and all of it to help the foreigners.One American man actually referred to them as terrorists, simply because they were chanting for a rise in pay (in another language), while the circumstances meant that he couldn't climb the mountain when he felt like it. As the protests continue, he actually asks his team leader if they can call the 'owners' of the Sherpa to sort out the situation. The packed IMAX cinema all chuckled in unison at his senseless, egregiously ignorant remarks.One of the best films to come out of Australia, if not our best documentary ever, SHERPA is an intoxicating, showing real peril and tragedy from the mountain itself. Using a combination of draw dropping visuals, head-cam footage from the Sherpa climbers themselves, brief interjections of archival footage and talking heads from both the Sherpa and the foreign climbers, this flick paints the definitive film of Mount Everest, or as the locals call it, Chomolungma.www.epilepticmoondancer.net
