We have been treated to some fantastic documentaries this year and Sherpa looks to be another not to miss as 2015 comes to a close.
Sherpa
Sherpa marks the return of Jennifer Peedom to the director's chair for her third big screen feature - coming after documentaries Miracle on Everest and Solitary Endeavour on the Southern Ocean.
The movie is set to be released next week and here is a great new trailer to whet your appetite:
Sherpa whipped up a storm at the London Film Festival this year, where it won the Grierson Award for Best Documentary.
In 1953, New Zealander Edmund Hillary and Sherpa Tenzing Norgay had reached the Everest summit in a spirit of co-operation and brave optimism. But in 2013 news channels around the world reported an ugly brawl at 21,000ft as European climbers fled a mob of angry Sherpas. What had happened to the happy, smiling Sherpas and their dedication in getting foreigners to the top of the mountain they hold so sacred?
Determined to explore what was going on, the filmmakers set out to make a film of the 2014 Everest climbing season, from the Sherpas' point of view. Instead, they captured a tragedy that would change Everest forever. At 6.45am on 18th April, 2014, a 14 million ton block of ice crashed down onto the climbing route through the Khumbu Icefall, killing 16 Sherpas.
It was the worst tragedy in the history of Everest. The disaster provoked a drastic reappraisal about the role of the Sherpas in the Everest industry. Sherpa, tells the story of how, in the face of fierce opposition, the Sherpas united in grief and anger to reclaim the mountain they call Chomolungma.
Sherpa is in cinemas from 15th December and will broadcast globally on Discovery Channel in 2016 http://sherpafilm.com/
