"Sherpa-Unsung
Heroes": A
unique and exciting project
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I
believe one of the difficulties that an explorer of
the High Himalaya has to face is finding competent
porters . . . skilled in the use of rope and ice axe.
If these men were at the disposal of climbers, the
chief obstacle to the conquest of the great Himalaya
would be removed. It is difficult to see how any
first-class Himalayan summit is to be reached without
such aid." - Douglas W. Freshfield, English
mountaineer/explorer. 1903
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Nearly
a hundred years later those words still ring true. The
Himalayan Sherpa is without doubt essential to high
altitude mountaineering. But who are these porters, or
Sherpa, and what skills and training could explain
their profound influence on the conquest of the worldıs
highest peaks? Would the popularity and scale of
Himalayan mountaineering among Westerners be as it is
if there were no Sherpa? |
Rathong
Valley last leg to HMI Base Camp |
THE
PROJECT: Our film, a feature length documentary, will
take the first outside look into the Himalayan
Mountaineering Institute (HMI). Founded in 1954 by
Tenzing Norgay and located in Sikkim, India, at the
foot of the Himalayas, HMI is the worldıs first and
finest climbing school for teaching mountaineering
skills exclusively to the Sherpa. Sherpa and
Sherpani (as the women are called) interested in
gaining coveted jobs on well funded expeditions know
that getting into HMI and achieving a prestigious HMI
graduation honor is the first summit on their way to a
high altitude climbing career.
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If
the competition to get into HMI is fierce it's quickly
matched by the instructors challenge to students once
they're accepted. One example: Day five; students are
required to complete what would normally be a 12 hour
hike in just 6 hours. In addition to this unbelievable
time restriction, they must carry 60 lbs. on their
back. Five minutes late on the return and they are cut
from the course. For an HMI student this is just
the beginning a multitude of pitfalls that await them
on the way to graduation. |
THE
STORIES: We intend to follow the twenty-eight-day
women's Advanced Course through the eyes of three
students. Yangchen Sherpani 18 yrs old, is one of
three women we will follow. Of 57 women having passed
the Basic Course, she was one of 14 that received a
recommendation to the Advanced Course. She hopes to
graduate from the Advanced Course, which would be the
highest honor and an incredible initiation into a
lifelong climbing career. Two other women to follow
will be chosen upon our arrival in India. We will be
choosing the others with diversity of story in
mind.
The 9
HMI instructors will play as sidebar stories
throughout the film. Their stories are certainly
worthy of telling. Kushang Sherpa, an HMI instructor
whose life is filled with heart wrenching experiences
at the world's highest peaks. He ran away from home
the first time at the age of 14 to work as a porter on
an expedition that was passing through his village.
He
is the first person to have summited Mount Everest from
three four points of the compass. His tales of empty promises of money,
equipment and land, in exchange for his abilities to
make these expeditions successful are tragic. He is
not known by the Western climbing world, but the
expeditions he has worked on created wealth and fame
for their leaders in the form of books and film. |
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Kushang
Sherpa on the Summit of Everest via East face
1999 |
Yet
he is humble, as the majority of Sherpa are, and does
what he does because he wants to provide an education
for his children, one that he never had. He can't read
or write so he climbs because he has to, not
"Because it's there".
Kunga
Bhutia, another HMI instructor, was the first woman
from West Bengal to summit Mount Everest. We believe
her story is interesting not only because of gender
but because she is of a new generation, the first
among Sherpa, that now climb by choice rather than
necessity.
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In
October of 2000, Director/Producer Win Whittaker and
Cinematographer Sarah Whittaker made a preliminary
scout to HMI, successfully enlisting the support of
Nawang Gombu, Director for 44 years at HMI, and many
of the students. Having traveled the world both as
guide and tourist, Gombu has a precious familiarity
with the limited resources of the region, the
struggles and dreams of his students and the potential
rewards for their success. The initial footage Win and
Sarah gathered from that trip is just a taste of this
great project and what it can be. |
Tenzing
Norgay's hut: HMI base camp's first Structure
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Click
on the above pictures for the full sized versions.
THE
FILMMAKERS: Win Whittaker is well know among the
climbing elite, having guided on Mt. Rainer, Mt.
McKinley, Aconcagua, and several of the worldıs
highest peaks since his early teens and trained many
of todayıs top climbing guides he hails from the
famous climbing Whittaker family. Gombu and Win have
worked together guiding expeditions on Mt. Rainier for
the last seventeen summers, and their friendship will
certainly benefit this production. Although well
know for his climbing, Win is perhaps less well known
for his extensive film experience. Having worked in
the film industry for seven years as an Assistant
Director he has both the heart of a climber and the
knowledge of a filmmaker that this project
requires.
Karen
Alvarez has produced a number of projects over the
past twelve years. As former Zoetrope staffer and
assistant to Francis Ford Coppola her insight into the
sometime crazy creative process as well as the nuts
and bolts of filmmaking is invaluable. Karen's
input is already evident in the preparation of the
filmıs budget and her constant "reality
checks" on the logistical demands of this
project. As a resident of Park City, Utah, she is a
mountain woman and skier as well as a competent
filmmaker. Karen's coordinating skills and thorough
knowledge of filmmaking will add balance and fiscal
responsibility to the crew.
Sarah
Wheat Whittaker first appeared in films as a skier for
filmmaker Dick Barrymore, then moved on to become a
stuntwoman. She has worked in the Hollywood film
industry for the last eleven years as a First
Assistant Cameraperson and has been the
cinematographer for several less glamorous, yet closer
to her heart, projects in South America and on Mt.
Rainier. Sarah has a proven ability to accurately
capture the moment at 23,000 feet, a skill that will
be invaluable on this project.
Patrick
Reddish has worked in the motion picture industry for
fifteen years. His list of credits include gaffing
such films as "Field of Dreams",
"What's Eating Gilbert Grape" and most
recently "Swordfish". Not
only does Patrick have extensive experience as a
Lighting Gaffer, Camera Operator, and Director of
Photography, but as a longtime alpinist and resident
of Park City, Utah, he has extensive mountaineering
skills. Over the past eight years Patrick has worked
with Sarah and Win on feature films and mountaineering
projects. Having been to the Himalayas several times
before, Patrick will be a tremendous asset.
THE
PAYOFF: We believe we have a unique and exciting
project. The market is ripe for stories of adventure,
struggle, and accomplishment; all of which this film
promises to have. We also believe that this project
can not be given the care or visual vitality it
deserves if it is under funded. We are willing and
ready to discuss financial involvement from any
seriously interested parties, however; as we will be
the first Westerners allowed inside HMI, we are not at
liberty to take any other crew into the school.
GIVING
BACK: A percentage of any profits from this film will
go to the Sherpa Bhuddists Association, an
organization that provides assistance to the families
of climbing Sherpa who have died or become
incapacitated in the field. They will also receive
$7,500 when we reach half of our budget and another
$7,500 when we complete the budget. Their help has provided
the means to continuing education for sons and
daughters of deceased Sherpa upon whose backs and
selfless effort many Westerners have found
glory.
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FOR
MORE INFORMATION: Whittaker Productions winsarah@mashell.com
P.O. box 292 Ashford Wash. 98304
Phone
360-569-2877 Whittaker Productions
Producers
contact Karen Alvarez 435-647-3047 Snizik@qwest.net
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Click
on the above pictures for the full sized versions.
Sponsors
to date:
Greg
Draper at UCO Corporation |
Samual
Adams Boston Beer Co. |
Alvin
Foster at ALF Enterprises |
Geb
Nichols |
Tom
Spalding at Display Shop |
Smart
Disk Corporation |
EverestNews.com |
Cameraworld.com |
Deborah
and Gabriel Jacobs |
Dean
Holmes at JVC |
Helly
Hansen |
Greg
Mills |
Pat
Leach |
Chris
& Kim Hahn |
Rosalie
Hahn |
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