Summary
14 Peaks: Nothing is Impossible is a typical documentary, but this time the success story of the impossible dream of a madman is important to tell.
This review of the Netflix documentary 14 Peaks: Nothing is Impossible does not contain spoilers.
“Sometimes, the idea that you come up with may seem impossible to the rest of the world, but that doesn’t mean it is impossible to you.” – Nirmal Purja
Netflix’s documentary 14 Peaks: Nothing is Impossible is the story of making that possible which seems impossible. The story of Nirmal ‘Nims’ Purja and his unbeatable courage to dream big is as inspirational as it is exhilarating.
The documentary captures the story of Nims ‘Project Possible’ to summit the world’s highest mountain peaks above 8000 meters. An impossible task, which takes climbers several years to complete, Nims set the goal to become the fastest to complete that within 7 months. And he did that with his team, Mingma David, Geljen Sherpa, Lakpa Dendi, and Gesman Sherpa within 6 months and 6 days, breaking 6 mountaineering world records.
Apart from an overwhelming story to witness, this documentary explores the hard truths of the mountaineering business, especially for those from Eastern countries. In terms of finance or publicity, the Eastern mountaineers do not get much support.
It’s an irony that all the Westerners come to the East to achieve the summit of these highest peaks with help of Easterners (Nepalese Sherpas), still they (Easterners) get unrecognized. In a striking dialogue, Nims quoted when Westerners summited, they told they had achieved with the help of their sherpas. They often forget to mention their names.
That’s the point also for Nims. Being a Nepali, he understands the discrimination and is saddened by it. He wanted that recognition for Easterners, especially for the Nepalese, what they deserve. So, he planned this monumental task to achieve the impossible before any Westerner.
In that process, he faced suffering both physically and mentally. He had to left his job in the military, his ailing mother at the time when she needed him most, even had to remortgage his house to finance the project. But as a Gurkha, losing or giving up is not in his blood. With steel determination and indomitable enthusiasm and courage he, at last, achieved his goal.
In the prospect of making this documentary, also produced by Nims, is nothing new in terms of convention. It has the old techniques of interviews, stock footages and commentaries. But it is the story that needed to be told. And to understand the enormous effort behind this epic journey and the exhilarating dream of a madman, one should definitely watch this documentary.
What did you think of the Netflix documentary 14 Peaks: Nothing is Impossible? Comment below.
