Oct 13, 2026 8:44pm IST
‘Tenzing’ Director Jennifer Peedom on Telling an Authentic Sherpa Story and the Bond Between Tom Hiddleston and Genden Phuntsok (EXCLUSIVE)
When you look at documentary filmmaker Jennifer Peedom's filmography, “Tenzing” feels as inevitable as Mount Everest. But for anyone wondering why Peedom chose to tell the story of Tibetan-Nepalese mountaineer Tenzing Norgay—the first person, alongside Edmund Hillary, to summit Everest—as a feature film, the answer lies in the film’s strong emotional pull. It’s spectacular to look at and has a beating heart and respect for Sherpa culture.
In an exclusive conversation with Variety India, director Jennifer Peedom reveals her inspiration for making “Tenzing,” casting Genden Phuntsok, his camaraderie with Tom Hiddleston, who plays Edmund Hillary, and the most technically challenging day on set. Excerpts:
What made you want to tell Tenzing Norgay’s story now?
I have been working in the Himalayas since my 20s. I came to know the Sherpa community and even made a feature documentary called “Sherpa” because most of the Everest films and documentaries tell the story from the Western pursuit of excellence and conquest. And often, the Sherpa people and their support, without which expeditions would be impossible on Everest, are left on the cutting room floor. After “Sherpa,” it was clear to me that Tenzing Norgay, the first man to climb Everest, had not yet had his story told, and it was time to tell it.
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‘Tenzing’ goes beyond an Everest conquest adventure by exploring Norgay’s spiritual fascination with Everest. How did you center the film’s emotional core?
I’ve experienced that spiritual pull. Being among the Sherpa people, it's really impossible to separate their cultural connection to the mountains. I became very close to Phurba Tashi Sherpa, who is the protagonist of my feature documentary, “Sherpa,” and in many ways, the inspiration for ‘Tenzing’. By spending time with him and his family, I was able to see the cost of this work, the sacrifices that the whole family has to make. So, it wasn't just about Tenzing and his goal, but much bigger than that. The community makes sacrifices for Everest. And Tenzing did too. For him, it was a spiritual quest. It felt so important to me that that be recognized, and that we could look at achievement through a different lens. It doesn't always have to be about conquest.
Genden Phuntsok as Tenzing stands out and holds his own in scenes with Tom Hiddleston as Edmund Hillary and Willem Dafoe as John Hunt. This being your first narrative feature, how was that dynamic built?
I imagine, for an actor, it would be potentially intimidating to be in a scene with Tom Hiddleston or Willem Dafoe. But Genden completely held his own. I’d seen Genden's work in Tibetan director Pema Tseden’s films and some Chinese films. He has a powerful presence and stillness that transcends. And those actors were so generous with him. They formed real bonds.
I wanted the relationship between Genden and Tom, in particular, to be very authentic. So I sent them off trekking together as part of their rehearsal process away from the cameras just to get to know each other. They trekked toward Everest Base Camp and stayed with my friend, Phurba Tashi, up in the Khumjung village. And they were just able to get to know each other outside of the production. I think that went a long way to helping there be this authenticity in the relationship between them.
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What day on set felt like your personal Everest because of how technically challenging it was?
Every day! Tom Hiddleston reminded me this morning of the last day of shooting. We were supposed to have two and a half days to shoot, but ended up having only one day because of weather restrictions. And Tom asked me, “What was more difficult, climbing Everest or making this film?” And I said, “For sure, making this film!”
We wanted to shoot in real landscapes and weather. Those actors are down real crevasses. Willem Dafoe is climbing a sheer ice face. And all of them were up for that kind of experience, but working in those environments is tough. And once you're there, you’re freezing. You can't take many people. So you don't have the normal levels of support, like catering. But that's kind of what it takes to get that level of visceral reality. I wanted the audience to have that. Chomolungma (Everest) needed to be a character in the film.
But for the actors, as they said to me, this meant a lot less acting was required. You know, when someone needs to climb out of a crevasse, the direction is “Okay, start climbing. And then, do it again!”
If you could’ve shown Tenzing Norgay one scene from the film, which one would it be?
I would love to have met Tenzing. Probably the scene where Tenzing looks down at the Tibetan plateau where he grew up as a child and that little boy looks back up at him from the rooftop of his house, and then he says, “Chomolungma.” It's still a moment that makes me tear up because they're such beautiful actors, and it's a beautiful moment. I would have loved for Tenzing to see that.
“Tenzing” arrives on Apple TV on October 16, 2026.
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