A fascinating new biopic exhibits the life and spirit of Tenzing Norgay, the Sherpa who joined Edmund Hillary in first summiting Mount Everest.

Born an outsider in the shadow of the Himalayas, one boy feels a deep spiritual connection to the mountains and a drive to know them better. By 1953, widowhood and decades of failed attempts to reach the highest peak have not dampened these – and when a new expedition vows to reach it, his skills, empathy, and patience will prove invaluable. Director Jennifer Peedom (River) and screenwriter Luke Davies (Lion) worked with Norgay’s son to give a truly deserving figure the hero treatment, brought to life by Genden Phuntsok as a cheerful, stoic, but iron-willed figure. Tom Hiddleston complements him well as Hillary, and the monumental cinematography shows the incredible odds they overcame