When director Jennifer Peedom set out to film the new documentary Tenzing, she needed a place to tell the story of the legendary Sherpa Tenzing Norgay. The answer led the crew across two continents, from remote Himalayan villages to the snow-capped peaks of New Zealand.
Early scenes captured in Nepal
Pre-production took three months in Nepal, after which the team spent six weeks filming. The early-life sequences were shot in Mustang, a rugged region near the Tibetan border. Mustang’s stone villages stood in for the Sherpa settlements originally planned for the Khumbu area.
Earthquake damage made the Khumbu valley unavailable, so the crew shifted to Mustang’s intact hamlets. “We had to check carefully because there are still sensitivities,” Peedom says, noting the logistical scramble to secure new locations.
To respect local sensitivities, the production obtained permission from Tenzing’s surviving relatives. The filmmakers consulted his family to verify details about his upbringing and identity, ensuring the narrative matched oral histories.
Stories from Tenzing’s grandson in Australia and his sons in New Zealand helped shape the script. The crew also visited Darjeeling, where the Sherpa trained with rocks in his backpack, and incorporated those anecdotes into the film’s fabric.
One of the most visible sets was Patan Durbar Square, a UNESCO World Heritage site in Kathmandu. The production carved out a two-hour window to film two major scenes, coordinating hundreds of extras amid ongoing religious rituals.
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Filming inside active monasteries added another layer of complexity. The team had to manage local holidays and prayer schedules, often waiting days for a quiet moment to capture a shot.
Mountains recreated in New Zealand
After Nepal, the crew moved to the South Island, where the Southern Alps provided a stand-in for Everest’s ridges. They worked with Te Rūnanga o Arowhenua and the Department of Conservation to secure permits and cultural guidance.
Before tackling the high-altitude sequences, the cast and crew completed rope-and-rock training. “By the time the team got to New Zealand, they had done rope and rock training, so it was all about the stunts and ice climbing,” Peedom says. “We also had to rehearse the scenes that were up on the mountain on safe ground. So when we got up to the actual locations, everyone knew what they were doing because they’d done it at base camp.”
The summit climb was filmed on a clear day atop Aoraki/Mount Cook. Actor Tom Hiddleston said the director insisted on genuine conditions, keeping the rope tight and the ice real.
A dramatic rescue scene was shot in a crevasse on the Darwin Glacier. The location offered an ice field that mirrors the Khumbu Icefall, allowing the crew to breathe more easily. A line was drilled into the glacier wall before the actors descended, and the camera was mounted on a wire jib to capture the moment safely.
Both Hiddleston and Tibetan actor Genden Phuntsok underwent intensive mountaineering drills, learning self-arrest techniques and Tyrolean traverses under the watch of a professional safety team.
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Training and cultural immersion
The crew consulted people throughout the community as language and cultural consultants, drawing on decades of relationships built since the earlier documentary on Sherpas. These advisors verified details about the climber’s early training with rocks in his pack.
Actors practiced coiling rope and cutting steps in ice walls.
Authentic mountain moments
Snow conditions shifted during filming, prompting the crew to relocate to a nearby ridge with firmer pack. The change ensured stable footing for the climbers and prevented equipment loss.
The final summit scene took place on a clear day, with the actors attached to the same rope they used during training. The director insisted each step be tested for firmness before filming continued.
Throughout the New Zealand shoot, the production used the Southern Alps’ similar geology to the Himalayas. The lower altitude allowed the crew to work efficiently while preserving the visual intensity of Everest.