January 26, 2005

Welcome to the SHERPA-E-TALK. With sincere gratitude on behalf of all the Sherpas in the globe, it is my pleasure to welcome and E-TALK with producer/director Mrs. Margriet Jansen, a Dutch filmmaker. Among number of video documentaries Mrs. Jansen has produced is a documentary called NIMA TEMBA SHERPA focusing on the importance of the Sherpas to any successful Himalayan Mountaineering Expeditions. This documentary recently won the Audience Award in the Kathmandu International Mountaineering Film Festival.

Mrs. Jansen received a degree in communication, majoring in visual anthropology and also specialized in the development of educational material both in printed form and digital media, cd-rom and Internet. She is also active as an author for a Dutch Educational Publisher. She is responsible for educational projects within Alice O, supervising both management and its pedagogical framework.

Margriet Jansen: I first got in touch with the Sherpas in 1995. A Dutch friend worked in Summit Trekking in Kathmandu and told me stories about his cooperation with the Rolwaling Sherpas. Cultures and how cultures influence each other is what interest me. After a research travel to Nepal in 1996 of about three months and a stay in Rolwaling I was even more interested. I decided to work on a documentary film about the Sherpa culture. Furthermore Rolwaling is facing a serious problem with the Tsho Rolpa lake above the valley. This glacier lake is growing because of climate change and the moraine dam is not stable. I wrote some articles to raise awareness of this problem as some fundraising started. Nowadays there is an alarm system and the moraine dam is lowered a bit so the water flow is better regulated.

Margriet Jansen: In my films I always look for a cultural and human perspective; therefore it was clear for me to focus on the Sherpas. I learned how important climbing is for the Sherpas in making their living. And getting to know more about climbing 8000-meter peaks I felt a necessity to include a high altitude climb in this film shown from the perspective of a Sherpa. It surprised me that the westerners get all the credits and that they come down as the hero’s at such climbs; often they even don’t mention the names of the Sherpas who made their climb possible.

Margriet Jansen: As said before it was not my aim to focus at any hero at all, I wanted to show the regular Sherpa live and the circumstances under which they live, work and climb. It is a profession, and a tough one. I came to know Nima and his whole family during my first research years ago and the visits I made afterwards. He expresses his thoughts very well and has always been well aware of the culture of the Sherpas.

Margriet Jansen: In fact this was more a coincidence. I couldn’t get the film financed before. Also now I didn’t receive any serious sponsoring, it is my own independent production. I got however the opportunity in 2003 to conclude a loan that I (hopefully) earn back by the sales of the film.

Margriet Jansen: The film had a cinema release in the Netherlands last spring (2004). Although the critics were quite modest the audience loved the film and came to see it in big numbers. Furthermore the film has been shown at the Mountain Film Festivals of Graz in Austria, Torello in Spain, Kendal in the United Kingdom and at the Himalayan Film Festival in Amsterdam. The film will also be shown by the Finnish and German television. It is now available on DVD via www.bol.com of www.mjcpro.nl. In general the responses on the film are quite good. People, even climbers, like the perspective I’ve chosen. And most people see the film as an honest portrait and admire its integrity.

Margriet Jansen: Yes, there was a Lhakpa Sherpa, he is a Sherpa from the east of Nepal working as an expedition porter. I paid the expedition for one extra Sherpa whom I could train for the camerawork. Lhakpa did not have any experience as a cameraman but he was very interested in it. He seems to be a natural talent because I couldn’t train so much with him. And perhaps he even didn’t understand all of my explanation but he came back with good material.

Margriet Jansen: I have the feeling that Nima is not so keen on becoming a celebrity. He is a very unpretending person. And even if other persons want to focus on him he is not really looking for the spotlight. Significant in this respect is his aim to go back to Rolwaling as soon as his kids are grown up; that he has made very clear in our talks.

Tsewang Sherpalama: How was your experience dealing with Sherpa climbers and the Sherpa community before and during the movie? What did you find different or interesting?

Margriet Jansen: : I had a very good experience and time before, during and after the filming. I always feel very welcome when we meet. I invited Nima together with Sangye Sherpa, who did the translation of the film, in our house in Holland during the release of the film. We had a lovely time together. We were invited in several cinema houses where we had to answer questions and Nima was asked to give his remarks on the film. What I find difficult is that Sherpa people in general never say what they really want. Often I had to guess or had to read their lips for an answer.

Margriet Jansen: I found a group of people who try to make a living within the given circumstances. People who try to improve their live and their future perspective. I also saw a group of people taking care of each other, of each other’s children if necessary, and of the widows from Sherpas who died on the mountain. People who try to maintain the quality of their culture, their customs and believes and who work on an improvement of the living conditions in their native soil in Rolwaling. Above all very nice and kind people with whom it is a pleasure to work with and to become friends with.

Margriet Jansen: Of course I do agree with Sir Edmund Hillary, but I know that it is difficult to organise. It is still depending on the person if he or she would like to share their income with the Sherpas. Sherpas can make it easier by starting a joint committee like the Rolwaling Sherpas do. It is easier to give money to a group of people. Then you are sure the money is spend for good aims and not just wasted in the bar, for instance. Because that can always happen if you give funds to private people. I also think that the so-called fortune climbers make is proportionally relative. Most climbers are in the limelight for a moment, when they come home they make a living by giving lectures about their experiences or write a book. By given lectures and selling books you can make a living in the USA or the European countries but you are not earning a fortune. And in the meantime we have had all the records; there is nothing higher than the Everest.

Margriet Jansen: I think this question is already answered in the former question. Furthermore I would suggest to work towards a kind of trade union for climbing Sherpas. All together you can set a standard of decent rates to earn and enter into yearly negotiations with the agencies on that principle. You must be sure that everybody agrees on it and that no one will work ‘under’ the price. It is the only possibility I see Sherpas can do to raise their standard of living.

Tsewang Sherpalama: Mountain climbing has been a middle class male dominated field both in the western and eastern world, including in the Sherpa community. What role Sherpa women need to play to make an impact? And do you see any disadvantage to be a woman in general in this field?

Margriet Jansen: I don’t see any disadvantage being a woman in this field. Already many Sherpa women have proved to be strong enough, sometimes even stronger then men, to do the job. You must admit that Sherpa women are the organisers of the daily live in the remote areas. In the case of climbing it is still difficult for Sherpa men to share the work with women. As long as there are enough Sherpas this will stay the same. Also in our Western countries you see that women only can get male dominated jobs when there is a shortage of labourers on the market. Until that time only the firm and strong women who are really determined to do the job will manage to get in.

Tsewang Sherpalama: Do you think the Sherpas should continue being part of the mountaineering occupation, a dangerous field to be in, or your role as an educator, would you advise us to educate ourselves in other professional fields as well, such as doctors, engineers, scientist, politicians and so on so forth?

Margriet Jansen: Just like Nima says in the film. He gives his children education so they can get another job, a less risky job. When Sherpas have sufficient education they can go for climbing and work as a guide by choice. Then they do the job because they just love climbing or like to work in the mountains. Nowadays Sherpas still have to do the job because there is nothing else they can do for a decent living.

Tsewang Sherpalama: Would you do another documentary focusing on the Sherpas? May be about the newest generation of immigrants in the United States of America, The Sherpas in Americas?

Margriet Jansen: The suggestion you do came already across my mind but isn’t an actual plan yet. It is also very hard to get a film like that financed and I cannot pay it myself a second time. So any suggestions are welcome, I am truly interested.

Tsewang Sherpalama: There are many books written about the origin of the Sherpas and most of them I read stipulate that the Sherpas migrated to Nepal from the eastern part of Tibet, Kham. Do you agree with these writers and as some one majoring in visual anthropology do you find any short of evidence to substantiate such opinions?

Margriet Jansen: I am not an expert in this field. I’ve read the history books, just like you did. I do know other people who studied this more closely. If you would like me to do I can ask them about it.

Tsewang Sherpalama: Presently all Sherpa villages in Nepal are under the control of the Maoist in all practicality. Sherpas cannot return and live in their own land without extortion, death threats and forceful participation to become a comrade, and join the Maoist cause. Is there a possibility of getting a political and/or humanitarian asylum for the Sherpas in Europe in general and Holland in specific, and would you be kind enough to lobby for this cause with your government on behalf of the Sherpas?

Margriet Jansen: I am fully aware of the tragedy that is taking place in the mountain area of Nepal at the moment. It is something that really worries me, especially for the local people who are the victims in this long-term struggle. In my opinion the Sherpas are not the biggest victims at the moment since the fights are not (yet) taking place in Sherpa areas but it becomes a serious threat.
Knowing the policy of the Dutch government about migration I give Sherpas no change when they ask asylum. As long as there are, in the opinion of the Dutch government, still safe places to go in Nepal, they will send asylum seekers back. At this moment our government is sending people away who are really in danger in their home countries. With a group of Dutch filmmakers we are fighting against this policy. I am sorry but I don’t see I can do anything for Nepalese asylum seekers at the moment.