14 Peaks: Nothing Is Impossible

2021 mountaineering documentary film December 2021 14 Peaks: Nothing Is Impossible 14 Peaks- Nothing Is Impossible.jpg Release poster Torquil Jones Gabriel Clarke Torquil Jones John McKenna Barry Smith Drew Masters Catherine Quantschnigg Mark Webber Nirmal Purja Ian Grech Nainita Desai Noah Media Group Netflix yes 2021 11 29 101 minutes United KingdomUnited States Nepali English 14 Peaks: Nothing Is Impossible is a 2021 documentary film directed by Torquil Jones, and produced by Noah Media Group, Little Monster Films and Torquil Jones with Nirmal Purja, Jimmy Chin and Elizabeth Vasarhelyi as executive producers. The film follows Nepalese mountaineer Nirmal Purja and his team as they attempt to climb all 14 eight-thousander peaks within a then record time of under seven months. The previous record was 7 years and 310 days held by South Korean climber Kim Chang. A significant portion of the footage was taken by the expedition team, while additional images and interviews were added later by the director, including interviews with Reinhold Messner (who called the feat "a unique statement in the history of mountaineering"), and other major high-altitude mountaineers,The Financial Times https://www.ft.com/content/0664aee1-44e1-492f-ab2c-57a47acb3534 Tom Robbins 26 November 2001 Mountaineer Nirmal Purja: 'I'm sick of people saying things are impossible' 16 December 2021 and Purja's family (including his wife and brothers). The film premiered at the DOC NYC Film Festival, and was released on Netflix on 29 November 2021. Background The documentary is about Project Possible, a plan by Nepali high altitude climber Nirmal Purja to climb all of the world's 14 highest peaks with an altitude greater than 8000 m ft 0 (called eight-thousanders) inside 7 months (i.e. from early spring to late summer, before the winter season begins). The actual climbing took 6 months and 6 days between April 2019 to October 2019. The first person to climb the 14 eight-thousanders was Italian climber Reinhold Messner who took 16 years between 1970 and 1986 and completed the feat without using supplementary oxygen. People will look back on this film like Rocky BBC Sport 2 December 2021 https://www.bbc.com/sport/59482665 2 December 2021 https://web.archive.org/web/20211202014038/https://www.bbc.com/sport/59482665 live By 2013, the feat had been achieved in 7 years and 310 days by South Korean climber Kim Chang, who also did not use supplementary oxygen. Meet the man who climbed 14 mountains in 6 months Red Bull 29 October 2019 3 December 2021 https://www.redbull.com/int-en/project-possible-nirmal-purja-climbing-worlds-highest-peaks-record 3 December 2021 https://web.archive.org/web/20211203031102/https://www.redbull.com/int-en/project-possible-nirmal-purja-climbing-worlds-highest-peaks-record live Purja decided to use oxygen above 7500 m ft for Project Possible based on prior experiences when not using oxygen on past eight-thousander climbs would have stopped him from saving the lives of stricken climbers (something he ended up doing several times during the project). In 2021, when leading a larger all-Nepali team to complete the first winter ascent of K2, Purja did not use oxygen. Messner appears several times in the film talking about eight-thousanders and what Purja was trying to do; Purja met Messner after suffering a bad fall on Nanga Parbat but Messner gave him encouragement to keep going, with Purja recounting: "He looked into my eyes and said, 'You can do it'. He told me to my face, and he hadn't even seen my climb. When he did the 8000-ers, the whole mountaineering community was against him, but he proved the concept. He did it when the world couldn't see his vision". He set the record of climbing 14 peaks. Synopsis The documentary begins on April 23, 2019, with Purja attempting Annapurna, statistically, the most dangerous eight-thousander. Purja joins with Canadian climber Don Bowie who has failed several times on Annapurna. However, Purja encourages Bowie to come with his team and they are successful summiting on 23 April, with Bowie saying "This guy believed they were gonna do it, and they pushed thru". The following day, Purja returns up the mountain to rescue a stricken climber (later identified as Malaysian climber Wui Kin Chin) which is successful (although Chin would die days later in Singapore).explorersweb.com https://linode.explorersweb.com/rescue-on-annapurna-delayed-due-to-red-tape/ Ash Routen Did Red Tape Fatally Delay the Rescue on Annapurna? 30 April 2019 16 December 2019 25 May 2022 https://web.archive.org/web/20220525223110/https://linode.explorersweb.com/rescue-on-annapurna-delayed-due-to-red-tape/ dead The rescue meant Purja lost his "weather window" for Dhaulagiri, which his team summits in bad weather on 12 May.https://www.redbull.com/ie-en/project-possible-nirmal-purja-climbing-worlds-highest-peaks-record RedBull Oliver Peeling 30 October 2019 16 December 2021 Nirmal Purja just climbed 14 mountains in six months and stunned the world Purja then summits Kanchenjunga on 15 May in a single 22-hour push passing all camps. While descending from the summit, at 8450 m ft and still in the death zone, Purja and his team encounter two stricken Indian climbers (later identified as Kuntal Karar and Biplab Baidya);explorersweb.com https://explorersweb.com/breaking-two-dead-on-kanchenjunga/ Ash Routen 15 May 2019 Two Dead on Kangchenjunga 16 December 2021 despite giving them all their oxygen and waiting for 12 hours for help which never arrives, one dies in Purja's arms, while the other succumbs at camp 4 – Purja suffers HACE helping a third lost climber. Behind schedule and questioning himself after the deaths on Annapurna and Kanchenjunga, Purja summits the three neighboring eight-thousanders of Everest on 22 May, Lhotse on 22 May, and Makalu on 24 May, in a record 48-hour push, taking a photograph of a large queue that had formed at the Hillary Step on Everest, which went viral and was re-printed on the front of the New York Times. The film breaks back to the period before the climbing started, with interviews from Purja's wife and brothers about his early life and career in the Gurkas and the Special Boat Squadron (SBS), and the sacrifices and financial risks that Purja took to create Project Possible. We also learn that his mother is unwell, and of a near-death experience from a sniper bullet to the face while on duty with the SBS.gripped.com https://gripped.com/profiles/14-peaks-the-greatest-himalayan-climbing-feat-ever/ 14 Peaks, The Greatest Himalayan Climbing Feat Ever? 14 December 2021 16 December 2021 Editorial Purja then moves to the Karakoram eight-thousanders summiting Nanga Parbat on 3 July, but taking a 100 m ft 1 fall while descending that was only arrested when he managed to grab hold of a random fixed rope that had been left behind. Purja tells the camera: "I always say to myself, I'm not going to die today. Maybe tomorrow, but not today". He then summits Gasherbrum I on 15 July and Gasherbrum II 18 July. When Purja arrives at K2 (also one of the most dangerous eight-thousanders), spirits at Base Camp are very low, and high levels of avalanches meant that most teams are preparing to abandon their climbs. Purja's team breaks out some bottles and has a party to lift spirits. The next day, Purja and his team begin climbing K2 and lay down fixed ropes in the dangerous Bottleneck section of the climb at 1 am (when the snow is hardest and at its most stable). Purja summits K2 on 24 July, and over the next two days, 24 other climbers use the fixed ropes laid down by his team to summit the mountain. Two days later, Purja summits Broad Peak on 26 July, thus completing a 23-day push to climb the 5 eight-thousanders in the Karakoram. Purja rushes back to Kathmandu to be with his mother who has suffered a heart attack. He then returns to summit Cho Oyu on 23 September, and Manaslu on 27 September. He then spends a few weeks lobbying Nepali politicians to help him secure a permit from the Chinese to climb Shishapangma in Tibet, which he successfully summits on 29 October 2019. Purja calls his now dying mother from the summit "we did it". Later we see Purja reunited with his mother and the world's media to celebrate the conclusion of his Project Possible. Records set Fastest ascent of all 14 eight-thousanders in 6 months and 6 days with supplementary oxygen (the previous record was 7 years and 310 days by South Korean climber Kim Chang-Ho; Purja's record would itself be broken in 2023 by Kristin Harila and Tenjen Sherpa, who completed the summits in 92 days).Guinness World Records https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/news/2021/12/14-peaks-all-the-records-nims-purja-broke-in-new-netflix-documentary-684255 14 Peaks: All the records Nims Purja broke in new Netflix documentary Sanj Atwal 3 December 2021 5 December 2021 4 December 2021 https://web.archive.org/web/20211204123331/https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/news/2021/12/14-peaks-all-the-records-nims-purja-broke-in-new-netflix-documentary-684255 live Fastest ascent of the 5 highest eight-thousanders in 70 days (the record for climbing without supplementary oxygen is 4 years and 219 days by Spanish brothers Alberto Iñurrategi and Felix Iñurrategi). Fastest triple-header of Everest, Lhotse and Makalu in 2 days and 30 minutes (Purja was the previous record holder from 2017). Cast The documentary features: 0362-4331 Kennedy Lisa '14 Peaks: Nothing Is Impossible' Review: Climbing at a Breakneck Pace The New York Times 2 December 2021 1 December 2021 https://www.nytimes.com/2021/12/01/movies/14-peaks-nothing-is-impossible-review.html 1 December 2021 https://web.archive.org/web/20211201223735/https://www.nytimes.com/2021/12/01/movies/14-peaks-nothing-is-impossible-review.html live Nirmal Purja (as Nimsdai) Suchi Purja (Nirmal Purja's wife) Kamal Purja (Nirmal Purja's brother) Mingma Gyabu Sherpa, climbing team Geljen Sherpa, climbing team Lakpa Dendi Sherpa, climbing team Gesman Tamang, climbing team Reinhold Messner, climber interviewed about the project Jimmy Chin, climber and film maker interviewed about the project Klára Poláčková, climber interviewed about the project Don Bowie, climber interviewed about the project Garrett Madison, climber interviewed about the project Production Purja told Climbing that Project Possible was a way of countering the constant skepticism he encountered before starting, and particularly raising sponsorship for the project, as he struggled to convince investors that his goals were realistic and that he was the climber to achieve them. When he summited the first peak, Annapurna I on 23 April 2019, Purja had only locked down 15 percent of the financing he needed, and most of this money had come from remortgaging his own UK house.Climbing "I Wanted to Completely Change the Dynamic on 8,000-meter Peaks": A Q&A With Nims Purja Stephen Potter 25 November 2021 16 December 2021 https://www.climbing.com/people/nothing-is-impossible-a-conversation-with-nims-purja/?itm_source=parsely-api However, as the climbing developed, Purja was able to raise funds both through GoFundMe campaigns, and corporate sponsorship (e.g. rebranding the project as Bremont Project Possible). Purja told Redbull, "It's been one financial risk after the other", and "I always say this project has been 'horrifically amazing'". During the project, Purja was supported by a rotating team of Nepalese climbers, several of whom are introduced in the film, including Mingma David Sherpa, Geljen Sherpa, Lakpa Dendi Sherpa, and Gesman Tamang, however, only Purja would complete the summit of all 14 eight-thousanders during the film. 14 Peaks: Nothing Is Impossible was compiled from the 100 hours of footage taken by Purja and the Nepalese climbing team from April to October 2019.2021-12-10 Nims Purja's '14 peaks: Nothing is Impossible' ranks at no 7 in Netflix Global Top 10 https://thehimalayantimes.com/entertainment/nims-purjas-14-peaks-nothing-is-impossible-ranks-at-no-7-in-netflix-global-top-10 live 2021-12-10 The Himalayan Times en 10 December 2021 https://web.archive.org/web/20211210141845/https://thehimalayantimes.com/entertainment/nims-purjas-14-peaks-nothing-is-impossible-ranks-at-no-7-in-netflix-global-top-10 Director Torquil Jones combined Purja's footage, archive footage, animation, and interviews. British-Indian composer Nainita Desai composed the film's score.14 Peaks on Netflix: behind the scenes with the composer of the documentary's orchestral score https://www.classical-music.com/features/tv-and-film-music/14-peaks-on-netflix-behind-the-scenes-with-the-composer-of-the-documentarys-orchestral-score/ 2021-12-10 Classical Music 8 December 2021 en 8 December 2021 https://web.archive.org/web/20211208190351/https://www.classical-music.com/features/tv-and-film-music/14-peaks-on-netflix-behind-the-scenes-with-the-composer-of-the-documentarys-orchestral-score/ liveGrein Paul 2021-11-18 'No Time to Die' Wins at 2021 Hollywood Music in Media Awards: Full List of Film Music Winners https://www.billboard.com/music/awards/hollywood-music-in-media-awards-winners-1234999095/ 2021-12-10 Billboard en-US 10 December 2021 https://web.archive.org/web/20211210144917/https://www.billboard.com/music/awards/hollywood-music-in-media-awards-winners-1234999095/ live 14 Peaks: Nothing Is Impossible is produced by Torquil Jones, and executively produced by Nirmal Purja, Jimmy Chin and Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi under the banner of Noah Media Group, Little Monster Films.One Man Strives to Climb All the Highest Mountains in Trailer for Documentary '14 Peaks' (Exclusive Video) https://www.thewrap.com/14-peaks-trailer-netflix-documentary-nimsdai-purja/ live https://web.archive.org/web/20211113212832/https://www.thewrap.com/14-peaks-trailer-netflix-documentary-nimsdai-purja/ 13 November 2021 13 November 2021 The Wrap 2 November 2021 en-US Soundtrack 14 Peaks: Nothing is Impossible (Soundtrack from the Netflix Film)14 Peaks: Nothing is Impossible (Soundtrack from the Netflix Film) by Nainita Desai 2021-11-26 https://music.apple.com/us/album/14-peaks-nothing-is-impossible-soundtrack-from-the/1596166961 en-US 2021-12-10 11 December 2021 https://web.archive.org/web/20211211125447/https://music.apple.com/us/album/14-peaks-nothing-is-impossible-soundtrack-from-the/1596166961 live Nainita Desai 14 Peaks – Opening 1:27 The 8000ers 2:15 Project Possible 2:49 The First Summit 2:11 Annapurna 0:59 A Hero In The Making 3:25 The Rescue 2:00 Shot In Afghanistan 1:04 HACE and the Yeti 1:58 Life Decisions 4:02 Climbing Everest 1:59 Mountain Jam 2:56 Breathe 1:03 One Peak At A Time 1:00 The Fall 1:15 Savage Mountain 1:46 Life And Death 3:44 Mind Over Mountain 1:10 Running Out of Air 3:02 Swim To The Moon 2:49 Abode Of God 0:36 Nothing Is Impossible 2:04 Mother and Son 3:13 Himala Ko Choro Himala ko Choro (14 Peaks: Soundtrack) - SingleHimala ko Choro (14 Peaks: Soundtrack) - Single by Swapnil Sharma & Rohit Shakya 2021-12-02 https://music.apple.com/us/album/himala-ko-choro-14-peaks-soundtrack-single/1598650330 en-US 2021-12-10 11 December 2021 https://web.archive.org/web/20211211125424/https://music.apple.com/us/album/himala-ko-choro-14-peaks-soundtrack-single/1598650330 live Himala ko Choro Singer(s) Swapnil Sharma Rohit Shakya Swapnil Sharma 3:12 Release 14 Peaks: Nothing Is Impossible's trailer was released on 2 November 2021.Official Trailer for '14 Peaks: Nothing Is Impossible' Mountaineer Doc https://www.firstshowing.net/2021/official-trailer-for-14-peaks-nothing-is-impossible-mountaineer-doc/ live 2021-12-10 FirstShowing 2 November 2021 en-US 13 November 2021 https://web.archive.org/web/20211113212521/https://www.firstshowing.net/2021/official-trailer-for-14-peaks-nothing-is-impossible-mountaineer-doc/ The film was first premiered at the DOC NYC Film Festival.Review: '14 Peaks' Documentary About the Remarkable Nimsdai Purja https://www.firstshowing.net/2021/review-14-peaks-documentary-about-the-remarkable-nimsdai-purja/ live https://web.archive.org/web/20211204024357/https://www.firstshowing.net/2021/review-14-peaks-documentary-about-the-remarkable-nimsdai-purja/ 4 December 2021 FirstShowing 29 November 2021 4 December 2021 It was released worldwide on 29 November 2021 on Netflix streaming.2021-12-01 Nirmal Purja receives global recognition through his Netflix documentary '14 peaks: Nothing is Impossible' https://thehimalayantimes.com/nepal/nirmal-purja-receives-global-recognition-through-his-netflix-documentary-14-peaks-nothing-is-impossible live 2021-12-10 The Himalayan Times en 10 December 2021 https://web.archive.org/web/20211210144015/https://thehimalayantimes.com/nepal/nirmal-purja-receives-global-recognition-through-his-netflix-documentary-14-peaks-nothing-is-impossibleRadulovic Petrana 1 November 2021 Every movie and show coming to Netflix in November https://www.polygon.com/22746747/new-netflix-movies-tv-shows-watch-november-2021 live https://web.archive.org/web/20211113212859/https://www.polygon.com/22746747/new-netflix-movies-tv-shows-watch-november-2021 13 November 2021 13 November 2021 Polygon en-US Critical response On the review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 90% based on 10 reviews.14 Peaks: Nothing Is Impossible https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/14_peaks_nothing_is_impossible live 17 December 2021 Rotten Tomatoes Fandango 5 December 2021 https://web.archive.org/web/20211205111320/https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/14_peaks_nothing_is_impossible Lisa Kennedy of The New York Times praised the film writing, the film "expands a genre often focused on the feats of individuals to celebrate lessons about vast dreams and communal bonds". The Los Angeles Times's Gary Goldstein noted that 14 Peaks: Nothing Is Impossible is a "uniquely stirring journey".Goldstein Gary 2021-11-29 Review: '14 Peaks: Nothing Is Impossible' rises above the clouds https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/movies/story/2021-11-29/review-14-peaks-nothing-is-impossible-mountain-climbing live 2021-12-10 Los Angeles Times en-US 10 December 2021 https://web.archive.org/web/20211210140033/https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/movies/story/2021-11-29/review-14-peaks-nothing-is-impossible-mountain-climbing Nell Minow writing for RogerEbert.com gave the film 3 out of 4 stars and penned that Nirmal Purja and his team "deserve to be as renowned as Sir Edmund Hillary, maybe more".Minow Nell 14 Peaks: Nothing Is Impossible movie review (2021) https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/14-peaks-nothing-is-impossible-2021 live 2021-12-10 RogerEbert.com en 10 December 2021 https://web.archive.org/web/20211210140328/https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/14-peaks-nothing-is-impossible-2021 Gary M. Kramer of Salon enthused over the film as it "motivates viewers to get off the couch and go climb a mountain".Kramer Gary M. 2021-11-30 "14 Peaks" and "Torn" deliver intense, brutal yet ultimately rewarding mountain-climbing experiences https://www.salon.com/2021/11/29/14-peaks-review-torn-netflix-nat-geo/ 2021-12-10 Salon en 5 December 2021 https://web.archive.org/web/20211205111942/https://www.salon.com/2021/11/29/14-peaks-review-torn-netflix-nat-geo/ live Pasang Dorjee of The Kathmandu Post said that he was awestruck "by the wonders that lie within your own country is a uniquely mesmerising feeling" and praised Nirmal Purja for his "courage, perseverance, and tenacity".'14 Peaks: Nothing is impossible' review https://kathmandupost.com/movie-review/2021/12/04/14-peaks-nothing-is-impossible-review live 2021-12-10 The Kathmandu Post English 10 December 2021 https://web.archive.org/web/20211210142557/https://kathmandupost.com/movie-review/2021/12/04/14-peaks-nothing-is-impossible-review Abhishek Srivastava of The Times of India applauded the film for carrying "a very strong message of teamwork, perseverance, dedication and national pride".Srivastava Abhishek November 30, 2021 14 Peaks: Nothing Is Impossible Review : An Awe-inspiring Story Of A Man's Quest To Achieve The Impossible The Times of India https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/web-series/reviews/english/14-peaks-nothing-is-impossible/ottmoviereview/87868850.cms 10 December 2021 10 December 2021 https://web.archive.org/web/20211210133210/https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/web-series/reviews/english/14-peaks-nothing-is-impossible/ottmoviereview/87868850.cms live Awards and nominations + Year Award Category Recipient Result Ref(s) Reference(s) 2021 Hollywood Music in Media Awards Best Original Score – Documentary Nainita Desai Tangcay Jazz 4 November 2021 Beyonce, Van Morrison, Hans Zimmer Receive Hollywood Music in Media Awards Nominations https://variety.com/2021/music/awards/hollywood-music-media-awards-nominations-beyonce-hans-zimmer-1235104781/ live https://web.archive.org/web/20211113213158/https://variety.com/2021/music/awards/hollywood-music-media-awards-nominations-beyonce-hans-zimmer-1235104781/ 13 November 2021 13 November 2021 Variety en-US 2022 British Academy Film Awards Best Documentary 14 Peaks: Nothing Is Impossible 2021-12-16 Longlists, 2022 EE British Academy Film Awards https://www.bafta.org/film/longlists-2022-ee-british-academy-film-awards 2022-02-08 www.bafta.org en Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards Outstanding Music Composition for a Documentary Series or Special (Original Dramatic Score) Nainita Desai https://www.emmys.com/shows/14-peaks-nothing-impossible 14 Peaks: Nothing Is Impossible Emmys.com Academy of Television Arts & Sciences July 12, 2022 See also Eight-thousander, 8000 m ft 0 Mountain, 2017 documentary about high altitude mountaineering Sherpa. 2015 documentary film about sherpa Phurba Tashi and the 2014 Mount Everest ice avalanche Beyond the Edge, 2013 documentary drama about first ascent of Everest The Summit, 2012 documentary film about the 2008 K2 disaster References External links tt14079374 m/14_peaks_nothing_is_impossible Category:2021 documentary films Category:2021 films Category:Documentary films about climbing Category:2021 multilingual films Category:Films about Mount Everest Category:Films set in Nepal Category:Films shot in Nepal Category:Films set in the Himalayas Category:Films set in Pakistan Category:Films shot in Pakistan Category:2021 Nepali-language films Category:Netflix original documentary films Category:Climbing and mountaineering films Category:Documentary films about Nepal Category:2021 English-language films Category:English-language documentary films