Mountain Queen: The Summits of Lhakpa Sherpa documents the story of a woman who has faced many storms in her life. When I watched the Netflix documentary, I was moved watching the many obstacles that she has had to face. While mountains play a big part in this film, there are equally captivating stories of people around Lhakpa. Not all is rosy in this film and Lhakpa knows it. At times, as a viewer, I was nervous about how things would play out.
Lhakpa is not like social media driven mountaineers that we see today. Her story remains largely unknown. I knew very little about her story apart from reading a few articles. It had made me curious about how this woman has such a regular ordinary life and successfully summits Everest countless times. Yet, I never went beyond to search her on Facebook and Instagram. So, the background was completely new.
If her story was a book, I am sure it would be a very big one. There are so many moving parts to her life and that makes this viewing so capturing. The relationship she has with her children carry this film forward and it is wonderful to see her daughters finding their own voice as the story unfolds.
She has weathered many storms and that is probably due to her defiant nature. At times I wondered whether it was good to be so defiant. Some issues that we see unravelling in the film, is hard to comprehend. How would her life have played out had there been changes in her personal circumstances earlier on; to alleviate the suffering she was facing.
For a viewer, many questions arise. It is a film! There’s enough drama and it can unsettle some.
Thankfully, the film ends on a high. A positive tone where Lhakpa has the freedom to pursue life as she wants, for her loved ones; with them. This is what she deserves, all along.
If you’re looking for something powerful to watch then head over to Netflix and watch this incredible lady’s film!
