The film provides footage and descriptions of people climbing a mountain where many have lost their lives in the effort. Climbers describe teammates dying, having to step around bodies, and facing threatening conditions and altitude sickness. The film also contains detailed descriptions of an abusive father and husband who beat up his wife, sent her to the hospital, threatened her life, abused her verbally, and pulled his daughters' hair. The woman and her daughters describe living in fear, escaping to a shelter, experiencing depression, and feeling the trauma that abuse leaves behind. The man had his own difficult childhood and had to flee his country on foot. He later died of cancer.
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A woman has a son with a man out of wedlock; he was unfaithful to her and they went their separate ways. She says women in her culture are traditionally assigned to arranged marriages with "no love or kissing." She later fell in love with a man she did marry and have two daughters with. He is said to have taken a lover described as a sort of second wife.
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The North Face, Whole Foods, Guinness Book of World Records, Red Fox. The film could inspire interest in a book about some of the people mentioned.
Positive Messages
a lot
Being in nature can bring a sense of peace and power. Don't judge people by their background, gender, station in life, or education level. Women can achieve the same physical feats as men. Anyone can reach their own mountain peaks, or goals, with perseverance and effort.
Positive Role Models
a lot
Despite a disadvantaged upbringing in a rural area of a country where girls were not educated or allowed to do certain other things, Lhakpa Sherpa grows up to be a loving mother to her daughters, whom she is educating well, and a role model for women around the world as a record-making mountain climber. She escapes an abusive relationship. Her daughters draw strength from her life story. Lhakpa demonstrates perseverance in continually overcoming barriers put in her way, as well as in summitting an extremely difficult peak 10 times.
Diverse Representations
a lot
The subject of the documentary talks about her people, the Sherpa, who are Yak farmers in the highlands of Nepal and lead a very isolated and remote life. Girls are treated differently than boys, and Lhakpa recalls carrying her brother on her back to school two hours each direction, even though she wasn't allowed to study. As such, she is illiterate. When she married a European man and moved to the United States, she made sure to give her own daughters an education and eventually left her husband for their safety and her own. She wasn't allowed to work as a "porter" at the Everest camps, so she got the job by dressing as a boy. The film has footage of several Nepalese ceremonies and the main subject in traditional dress.
Parents need to know that Mountain Queen: The Summits of Lhakpa Sherpa is a documentary about a woman who demonstrates perseverance in her personal and professional lives, which contains scenes and descriptions of violence as well as some swearing and drinking. The subject escapes a disadvantaged upbringing and an abusive relationship to break world records doing what she loves best: mountain climbing. The film provides footage and descriptions of climbers seeing teammates dying, having to step around bodies, and facing threatening conditions and altitude sickness. The film also contains detailed descriptions of an abusive father and husband who beat up his wife, sent her to the hospital, threatened her life, abused her verbally, and pulled his daughters' hair. The woman and her daughters describe living in fear, escaping to a shelter, experiencing depression, and feeling the trauma this has all left behind. The man had his own difficult childhood and had to flee his country on foot. He later died of cancer. People drink, sometimes to excess, and swear ("f--k," "s--t"). To stay in the loop on more movies like this, you can sign up for weekly Family Movie Night emails.
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What's the Story?
MOUNTAIN QUEEN: THE SUMMITS OF LHAKPA SHERPA tells the story of the first and only woman to climb Mount Everest 10 times. Lhakpa lives in Connecticut, where she works at Whole Foods and is a single mother for her two daughters. The girls are embarrassed by their modest house, and one of them has withdrawn from her family. Slowly, we learn the background of their circumstances. Lhakpa sets out on yet another Everest climb. Will summiting the peak again bring her and her family peace?
Although the backstory is only slowly revealed, this intimate personal tale may come as a surprise for viewers expecting just a documentary about an extraordinary female athlete. Mountain Queen: The Summits of Lhakpa Sherpa works on both levels, weaving together handheld and drone footage from Everest climbs as well as interviews and scenes from Lhakpa and her family's lives. This creates suspense that extends into both realms: Will she make it to the top of the mountain, and what demons has she faced (and escaped) at home? Ultimately, it's Lhakpa's winning personality and endurance—mental and physical—that make her story, and this documentary, so inspirational.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the details of Lhakpa Sherpa's life story given in Mountain Queen: The Summits of Lhakpa Sherpa, and the many ways she has shown perseverance. Can you think of examples in your own life where you have shown determination and overcome obstacles?
What did you learn about Mount Everest and the Sherpa people in this film? Where could you go to learn more?
How does this film compare with other documentaries you've watched? Was there anything missing for you to feel you fully understand the film's subject and main points?
What messages might viewers take away from this film about immigrants in the United States?
Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by
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Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.
By Jennifer Green
,
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