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| Tibetan actor Genden Phuntsok plays the title role as Tenzing Norgay, the Nepalese sherpa who climbed Everest with Edmund Hillary Photo courtesy Canberra City News |
He stood alongside Sir Edmund Hillary at the top of the world, but few know his story. Streaming columnist NICK OVERALL says the new film Tenzing puts the spotlight on the Nepalese Sherpa whose courage helped make history.
There have been a mountain of movies and TV shows made about conquering Everest over the years and yet none have properly explored the story of one of the most critical members in the history of expeditions to the earth’s tallest peak.
Many people know about the incredible feat of NZ mountaineer Sir Edmund Hillary and his team who in 1953 became the first to make it to the roof of the world.
Far fewer, however, know about Tenzing Norgay, the Nepalese sherpa who helped them get there. He was 39 years old when he joined Hillary’s expedition to reach the top. Tenzing was instrumental in battling the fierce conditions of the mountain in order to set foot on the peak.
By the time of this journey he had already participated in six Everest expeditions, most notably the year before in which he made it 8598 metres up with explorer Raymond Lambert. Everest’s official height is 8848 metres.
The two had to turn back due to poor weather, low resources and exhaustion.
For years Tenzing had dreamt of being the first to conquer the mountain and with Hillary he finally had the chance.
Now streaming on Apple TV Plus, Tenzing tells this remarkable story with a blockbuster budget.
Tibetan actor Genden Phuntsok plays the eponymous hero while Avengers star Tom Hiddleston plays Hillary.
For a long time there was some mystery that surrounded which of these two men was the first to officially take that first step on top of the mountain.
That’s because the team who made it to the top deliberately left it a mystery, saying they wanted the achievement to be remembered as a team effort rather than have it belong to any one individual.
Later in his autobiography, Tenzing did in fact reveal it was Hillary to go first.
However, with this new film audiences are treated to a new first: a thrilling, in-depth look at the man who may have been second on the top but without whom, the expedition never would have made it.
First published at Canberra City News, November 1, 2026