There are documentaries, and then there are documentaries that both mentally and spiritually put us into the heart of the story… like Everest Dark.
Everest Dark
Everest Dark is a breathtaking documentary that is directed by Jereme Watt. The film takes us to the highest mountain on this planet and introduces us to the people who live there. Mount Everest is considered a sacred place to the Nepalese people. Climbers have travelled to climb to the summit. Many of them have died on that mountain…and…their bodies are still there…frozen testaments to mankind challenging nature and losing. The Nepalese people believe that they must honour the sanctity of the mountain by returning as many of the dead to their families as possible. This is one man’s journey.
Mingma Tsiri Sherpa and his team of climbers must brave the frigid cold and low oxygen levels to comb the slopes littered with those who have failed to conquer Mount Everest. This quest is a possible death sentence to all involved. Mingma Tsiri Sherpa is the best high-altitude climber of all time. He’s led many missions to rescue climbers in distress and has seen many of his brethren die on the mountain.
Jereme Watt is an award-winning director of film and has directed more than 150 episodes of documentary television for Discovery and History channels worldwide. He is known for his focus and care in highlighting compelling stories and characters. Over the past ten years, Jereme Watt has brought his camera to Nepal to film Mingma’s quest for the big screen.
Mount Everest
Why would anyone want to climb a mountain? Since Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay first summited Everest in 1953, more than 6,000 people have done the same since. Three hundred climbers died trying to conquer Everest, and two hundred frozen bodies remain encased in ice. One third of those bodies are Sherpa guides.
The biggest challenges to climbing Everest are frigid weather, low oxygen levels, altitude sickness, and avalanches. Twenty-one people were killed in Basecamp after a 2015 earthquake caused an avalanche.
You might want to watch Everest Dark with a very heavy blanket wrapped around yourself, because this documentary pulls you into the story as we watch Mingma Tsiri Sherpa and his fellow climbers prepare for the climb. Mingma and his crew must make their way to four different base camps to eventually reach the body of his lost friend. This is no idle jaunt for fame. The Nepalese believe that the souls of the lost climbers are trapped on that mountain until their bodies can go home. This climb is personal.
Conclusion
Does Mingma find his friend? You will need to watch this amazing documentary to find that answer, but I will tell you this: it is a visual shock to see a frozen human, and there are so many on Everest.
Everest Dark will open in select theatres across Canada beginning February 13. You can watch it at HotDocs.