Sherpa

It has two subtitles but perhaps the best would have been "political economy on Everest": this account of what is essentially a labour dispute is perhaps the first honest film about the mountain and its climbers (a group I've always felt were among the most selfish of Western tourists, including towards the sherpas, other climbers, and also their own families). The beautiful scenery and cinematography form a contrast with the general ugliness of the situation. Last year without fatalities: 1977.

The filmmakers were cowards and let Russell Brice and his expedition company get off more or less unscathed despite his smears and lies about the Sherpas’ courageous labor fight. His lies are so obvious the documentary can’t do much to mask it, but it clearly holds back on calling him out directly and even tosses him a nod at the end for supposedly working to make Everest safer. Bullshit. Frustrating documentary, but compelling due to its filmmakers being in the right place at the right time.

This documentary should be mandatory viewing for anyone who somehow believes colonialism is a thing of the past. I wish it was more centered on the sherpas instead of pivoting halfway through the runtime to follow some stupid old white dude instead without being critical of his dated and neocolonialist views. At least we are shown the exploitation and the lies, but the documentary's second half is just flat and visibly holding back a lot.

An amazing portrait on how colonialism looks like in late capitalism.

Pretty cool to set a film up on Everest base camp and see a little bit of the lives of rich climbers and the sherpas who work for them. Like so many documentaries, it's not very well planned and has to go with the flow as unexpected events unfold. Lots of directionless scenes and dialogue that achieves little. Not a satisfying watch, as all it shows is petty conflict. Peedom could have made a better film on another mountain or even down in Kathmandu with the locals and families of sherpas.

Nice overview and insight on all the hard work and conditions sherpas need to work in. One of a kind topic.