Sherpa (2015)
90%RT Audience Score: 81%
Awards & Nominations: Nominated for 1 BAFTA Award
5 wins & 11 nominations total
A heartbreaking story told with tremendous narrative and visual skill, Sherpa exposes the audience to a side of Mount Everest that many have never seen or considered.
Sherpa is a documentary that will leave you in awe of the stunning landscapes and the courageous Sherpa community. It’s a story of exploited labor and their struggle for power, but it’s also a story of resilience and determination. The film captures the beauty of Everest and the harsh realities of those who work on the mountain. With a stirring orchestral score and stunning imagery, Sherpa is a must-watch for anyone who loves nature and human stories. Plus, it’s a refreshing change from the usual Everest movies that often overlook the Sherpas.
Production Company(ies)
Wildwood Enterprises Artemis Rising Foundation Foothill Productions,
Distributor
NA
Release Type
Streaming, Theatrical, Theatrical (Limited)
Filming Location(s)
Mount Everest, Nepal
MPAA / Certificate
Not Rated
Year of Release
2016
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Color:Color
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Sound mix:Dolby
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Aspect ratio:2.35 : 1
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Runtime:NA
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Language(s):Nepali, English, Chinese
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Country of origin:United States
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Release date:Release Date (Streaming): Nov 5, 2016
Genre(s)
Documentary
Keyword(s)
documentary, Sherpa, Mount Everest, ice slide, grief, anger, Nepali, Jennifer Peedom, Bridget Ikin, John Smithson, written by Jennifer Peedom, directed by Jennifer Peedom, produced by Bridget Ikin, produced by John Smithson, executive producer David Gross, executive producer John Maynard, critic reviews, Stephen Romei, Paul Byrnes, Charlotte O’Sullivan, Mark Kermode, Geoffrey Macnab, Henry Barnes, Katie Smith-Wong, Nick Evan-Cook, Matthew Anderson, Nico Hines, Anwen Crawford, Alex Heeney, genre, box office performance, budget, MPAA rating, actors, crew, documentary filmmakers, Sherpas, exploited labor, struggle for power, workers taking control, stunning imagery, objective portrayal, complex cast, interviewees, slow motion imagery, accelerated time lapse photography, multiple cameras, stirring orchestral score, knife edge proceedings, nature photography, Renan Ozturk, Hugh Miller, Ken Sauls, wonder of Everest
Worldwide gross: $1,160,595
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): $1,430,432
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 2,506
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): 155,990
US/Canada gross: NA
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): NA
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): NA
US/Canada opening weekend:
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): NA
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): NA
Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): NA
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): NA
Production budget ranking: NA
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): NA
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): NA
ROI to date (est.): NA
ROI ranking: NA
Jennifer Peedom – Screenwriter
David Gross – Executive Producer
John Maynard – Executive Producer
Bridget Ikin – Producer
John Smithson – Producer
Director(s)
Jennifer Peedom
Writer(s)
Jennifer Peedom
Producer(s)
Bridget Ikin, John Smithson
Film Festivals
Toronto
Awards & Nominations
Nominated for 1 BAFTA Award
5 wins & 11 nominations total
Academy Awards
All Critics (41) | Top Critics (15) | Fresh (40) | Rotten (1)
Sherpa is different and arresting: it’s an old-fashioned documentary that allows the participants to tell their stories.
April 1, 2016 | Rating: 3.5/5
Stephen Romei
The Australian
TOP CRITIC
Sherpa is an accomplished, gripping film.
March 25, 2016 | Rating: 4/5
Paul Byrnes
Sydney Morning Herald
TOP CRITIC
The landscapes are gorgeous; the ironies stark.
December 27, 2015 | Rating: 4/5
Charlotte O’Sullivan
London Evening Standard
TOP CRITIC
For all its awe-inspiring scenery, this is a story of exploited labour’s struggle for power, of workers taking control of their workplace.
December 20, 2015 | Rating: 4/5
Mark Kermode
Observer (UK)
TOP CRITIC
There is bad faith on all sides but, amid all the bickering about money and safety, Peedom always also pays attention to the courage and selflessness of her subjects.
December 17, 2015 | Rating: 4/5
Geoffrey Macnab
Independent (UK)
TOP CRITIC
Smart, genuine, thoughtful film-making.
December 17, 2015 | Rating: 4/5
Henry Barnes
Guardian
TOP CRITIC
Overall, Sherpa is a thought-provoking, beautiful yet unbalanced documentary.
November 18, 2019 | Rating: 3/5
Katie Smith-Wong
Flick Feast
Simultaneously arthouse-beautiful and fiercely political, this will set jaws agape both through its stunning imagery and its objective portrayal of its complex cast of interviewees.
April 9, 2019 | Rating: 4/5
Nick Evan-Cook
One Room With A View
The blend of slow motion imagery and accelerated time lapse photography along with the use of multiple cameras instils Sherpa with an evolving vibrancy, reinforced by a stirring orchestral score which heaps ever more emotion on knife edge proceedings.
April 8, 2019 | Rating: 4/5
Matthew Anderson
CineVue
The Sherpas hit the cutting room floor in most Everest movies. Not this time.
March 6, 2019
Nico Hines
The Daily Beast
In [Jennifer] Peedom’s film we see a mountain that is both workplace and sacred site, integral to both the economic livelihood and the religious beliefs of the surrounding Sherpa community.
September 12, 2017
Anwen Crawford
Kill Your Darlings
Through terrific nature photography from Renan Ozturk, Hugh Miller, and Ken Sauls, [Jennifer] Peedom has captured anew the wonder of Everest.
August 14, 2017
Alex Heeney
Seventh Row…
Plot
A fight on Everest? It seemed incredible. But in 2013 news channels around the world reported an ugly brawl at 6400 m (21,000 ft) as European climbers fled a mob of angry Sherpas. In 1953, New Zealander Edmund Hillary and Sherpa Tenzing Norgay had reached the summit in a spirit of co-operation and brave optimism. Now climbers and Sherpas were trading insults – even blows. 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 14,000 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.
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
Sherpa is a documentary film directed by Jennifer Peedom and produced by Bridget Ikin and John Smithson.
Jennifer-Peedom.jpg
