The Icefall Doctor

Angnima Sherpa, the original “Icefall Doctor”, has held the most dangerous job on earth on the slopes of Mt. Everest for 30+ years.​ A kaleidoscopic and meditative view on his last season as leader of the Icefall Doctors before his death. Some of Everest’s bravest Sherpas are “Icefall Doctors”, whose daily job is facing possible death walking into the Khumbu Icefall on Everest to manage the route, save climbers, and assure Western mountaineers will have an opportunity at the top of the world. Leader of an unappreciative trade, unrecognized by most Everest enthusiasts, Angnima and his team were a mythical band of hardcore Sherpas, and unfamiliar to a majority of the world. His story reveals culture, commitment to family, chasms of class & financial inequity; and overall hangs the fog of environmental stewardship. In his directorial debut, this award-winning film from Sean Burch offers a refreshingly direct approach to documentary and underrepresented communities.