‘The Widows of Everest’ Claims International award
While the image of Sherpas as brave, strong, and loyal mountaineers has gathered global attention, the story of the families that are left behind is rarely told.
A documentary on Sherpa widows, has won the bronze medal at this year’s New York Festivals TV and Film Awards.
The documentary, The Widows of Everest', was jointly directed by women journalists Shreya Banerjee and Rojita Adhikari for Al Jazeera’s flagship documentary program, 101 East. The documentary depicts how Sherpa women struggle after losing their husbands in climbing accidents while working for foreign clients.
Sherpas have relied on mountain tourism since expeditions began flocking to Everest and other mountains following Tenzing Norgay and Edmund Hillary’s first ascent of Everest in 1953. Despite continual advances in technology and safety, a number of high-altitude workers die each year while supporting foreign climbers to realize their summit dreams. In 2014, a massive avalanche swept through the Khumbu Icefall on the lower slopes of Mt. Everest, killing sixteen workers. These kinds of events are expected to become more common as global warming continues to destabilize mountain environments.
While the image of Sherpas as brave, strong, and loyal mountaineers has gathered global attention, the story of the families that are left behind is rarely told.
The documentary follows a number of widows who lost their life partners, and highlights their struggles with grief and the increased challenges of making ends meet and supporting their children.
Director Rojita Adhikari herself faced significant challenges while producing the documentary. While filming, the deadly second wave of Covid-19 swept across the Khumbu, and all of Nepal. Adhikari contracted Covid while on assignment, and nearly lost her life. She shared this story with Everest Chronicle in her personal essay Trouble Breathing. Despite all odds, she made a full recovery and continued on to complete the film.
‘The Widows of Everest’ competed against documentaries and films produced from over 50 countries to win the award. Earlier, the film was also a finalist for a Rory Peck Award.
