Hong Kong, November 2
A special screening of the documentary Road to Everest was held in Hong Kong on Sunday under the theme “Experience Everest, Support Rasuwa”, drawing an enthusiastic audience.
Organised by the Non-Resident Nepali Association (NRNA) Hong Kong, the screening took place at Sunbeam Whampoa Cinema in Hung Hom.
The event aimed to introduce Mount Everest and Nepal’s Himalayan heritage to international audiences while raising support for the reconstruction and rehabilitation of families displaced by recent floods and landslides in Rasuwa, Nepal.
The screening brought together members of various communities living in Hong Kong, including Nepali, Indian, Chinese, Filipino, Thai and Indonesian audiences. Viewers praised the film’s visual presentation, storytelling and depiction of the journey to Everest, as well as its message about climate change and its impact on the Himalayan environment.
NRNA Hong Kong organised the special screening in response to audience demand following an enthusiastic reception at an earlier grand premiere.
Screening coordinator and NRNA Hong Kong Vice-President Kabita Gurung said the event was organised to give another opportunity to those who could not attend the first screening and to share Nepal’s Himalayan stories with audiences from different communities.
NRNA Hong Kong President Anu Rai said Road to Everest was not merely a story about climbing the world’s highest mountain. It also portrays the contributions, courage, struggles and beliefs of the Sherpa community, alongside the challenges posed by climate change in the Himalayan region.
She thanked the Nepali community in Hong Kong for attending the screening and supporting the campaign for families affected by the disaster in Rasuwa.
NRNA Hong Kong General Secretary Indra Pun stressed the importance of supporting Nepali filmmakers who are working to tell their own stories through local investment and limited resources.
The event was also attended by Tulsi Kumar Gurung, chairperson of the We Will Rise Foundation; Raj Gurung, the central subject of the documentary; and Vinod Gurung, one of the film’s key figures.
Running for approximately 50 minutes, the documentary follows a journey from sea level to the summit of Mount Everest. It highlights the challenges of mountaineering, human courage, the contribution of the Sherpa community, Nepal’s Himalayan heritage and the environmental changes taking place in the mountains due to climate change.
The documentary features Phurba Tenjing Sherpa, who has summited Mount Everest 18 times, and Nima Gyalzen Sherpa, who has climbed the mountain 11 times. Nima has also successfully climbed all 14 of the world’s 8,000-metre peaks. Director Nirmal Shrestha and businessman Suraj Gurung are also among the film’s key subjects.
Produced by the We Will Rise Foundation, Road to Everest is directed by Nirmal Shrestha. Its story was written by journalist Santosh Acharya and Shrestha. Available in both Nepali and English, the documentary was made entirely with the involvement of a Nepali technical and production team.
The production team said the documentary’s international journey would continue, with plans to reach wider audiences through international film festivals and special screenings in different countries.
Photo: Swodesh Maharjan
