'Sherpa' a film that recounts the harrowing story of the massive avalanche that tore through the icefall of Mt Everest in April 2014 and killed 16 sherpas is set to air soon on the Discovery channel.
The two-hour long programme, that is a tribute to mountain guides of Nepal also called as Sherpas, is set to premiere on April 18, the day of the tragedy and is scheduled as a global event that will aired in over 220 countries and territories.
The 14 million ton avalanche is recognized as the worst tragedy in the history of Everest and sparked a drastic reassessment of the role of Sherpas in the Everest climbing industry.
The film captures the story of the Sherpa community, united in grief and anger as they reclaim the respected mountain they call Chomolungma.
"The film was originally positioned to showcase the upcoming climbing season from the Sherpas' point of view after a highly-publicised confrontation in 2013 between Western climbers and a group of Sherpas," the network said.
While capturing the shifting dynamics of Everest climbing culture and legendary Sherpa Phurba Tashi's world record-breaking 22nd attempt to summit the mountain, the team witnessed and captured the single deadliest day in the mountain's history after an avalanche that struck just above Mt Everest base camp.
In a culture that is dominated by the Everest climbing economy and heavily embedded with religion, tensions rise as Sherpas demand governmental changes to their dangerous line of employment.
Ultimately, they must decide whether to continue their climb to provide for their families, or to cancel the season out of respect for themselves and those lost in the avalanche.
The film contains first-hand live recordings, voices of the guides themselves, their families, and the climbers who were preparing to summit when the disaster struck
'Sherpa' directed by Australian filmmaker Jennifer Peedom and produced by Bridget Ikin was nominated for the British Academy of Film and Television (Bafta) award.
