User Reviews

You could never accuse Max Stainton-Parfitt of taking the easy option! Suffering from cerebral palsy and married to the hugely supportive and independently-minded Candy, he gets a great deal of his beneficial physical exercise by riding an horse. This is frequently a painful and strenuous endeavour, not just for him - but for all concerned. Imagine the gasps when he declares that he wants to get to the base camp of Mount Everest over 17,000 ft up in the snow covered Himalayas. What now ensues is a rather candid documentary following this trek - warts, tantrums, struggles and joys - as his illness at times lays him low, at other times galvanises his undoubted spirit. The hand held photography is at times quite potently intimate, but at other times it's uncomfortably intrusive and it has to be said that he is not a man who is always the easiest to like, nor understand. His determination to stand out from the crowd is laudable and appreciable, but it sometimes also smacks of ego and presumption and by the conclusion I was in awe of the achievement but not remotely of the man. A team effort across the board - from the film makers to the team of sherpas who kept everyone fed, watered and alive - and as a testament to human endurance and a lesson in refusing to conform, this is well worth ninety minutes of your time.

Setting aside my own familiarity with director Carl Woods and the Riding Everest team, 'My Everest' is a remarkable achievement of independent filmmaking that undergoes an arc of its own, reflecting the mindset of the key individuals it seeks to understand.

After providing a warm insight into Max Stainton's life, including the therapeutic effects of horse riding from an early age, the documentary dovetails into the premise of why Max and his team set their minds to travel on foot and horseback to Everest Basecamp. After they land in Nepal the tone shifts, and we experience an echo of the immense struggles of Max, then-girlfriend Candy, and his dedicated team of friends and Nepalese guides.

Through naturalistic handheld cinematography, colour timing that ranges from sweeping and majestic to bitterly cold and desolate, and a tense and eerie score, we are made to feel the tension, vertigo and remoteness of the expedition. The effect is equal parts transporting and debilitating. Seeing the team, and Max especially, struggle with the high altitude, keeping hydrated, and the shared emotional and physical exhaustion throughout the is raw and unfiltered. Perhaps, watching the experience is even enough to make one question the desire to go mountaineering up to Everest.

In many ways, the film itself undergoes its own arc; at first reflecting the naïveté, optimism and ambition of Max, his friends, and riding support in the lead up to the trek. Throughout the scenes in Nepal, we are given the unromantic and honest nature of the trek. Upon returning to England, there is still a lingering question of what all this hardship was for. There is commemoration for the group's achievements but with a reflective, almost empty, look back on it all before the film reaches its endpoint of greater meaning for its protagonists.

Demonstrating a nuanced, emotionally honest and original message of realising one's innate, and tremendous, self worth versus societal expectations, 'My Everest' is not a finger wagging lecture towards able-bodied individuals, nor is it another tired faux-inspirational tale. Rather, it places its audience in Max's shoes and those of his team of friends, riding support and Everest guides with honesty, sensory overwhelm and reflective compassion. By giving us a sense of that physical, mental, and emotional toil of their expedition, 'My Everest' asks us to consider that anyone can realise their own self worth and right to happiness of mind and spirit regardless of what society restrictions and stereotypes are placed.

'My Everest' documents the naïve excitement as well as the darkest lows of Max Stainton's journey as he conquers Everest Base Camp. However, Max is disabled with cerebral palsy and struggles with basic tasks that most people take for granted. Despite his lack of coordination, Max undergoes two years of training in preparation of the mountainous challenge.

As an avid horseback rider, Max and his partner Candy along with a team of Sherpas and Rocky the horse, treks the Everest Base Camp Trail. The initial anticipation soon dissipates into fear, as Max realises he underestimated the physicality of the challenge, as well as the excruciating pain exerted on his body to get to Base Camp.

The adventure film captures close-up footage of the trail whilst the contrast between the diminutiveness of humanity against the soaring Himalayan mountains is mind-blowing. However, the documentary also provides insight into the emotional battles and the physical toll on Max, who admits wanting to quit at one stage. At this point, the trek was no longer about defying expectations and breaking down societal prejudice, but one of survival as the impact of each step caused acute pain and damage to his hips.

Despite his physical suffering, Max and his team manage to overcome the strenuous, long climb to reach Base Camp. Whilst settled back home in England, Max becomes a minor celebrity, making media appearances to share his story. However, behind the confident façade, Max reveals his scars from the conquest of Base Camp, which has left him traumatised and more disabled than before. The documentary also touches upon the culture of toxic masculinity which ultimately lands young men in dangerous situations, of which Max was not immune to, just to prove their worth to society, highlighting the fine line between bravery and recklessness.

The final moments of the candid interview with Max and Candy discloses their regrets as to why Max undertook such a challenge in the first place. Whilst at the start of the film, Max does not want to simply exist as society expects of disabled people, he wants to live his life without being boxed-in, step outside his comfort zones, and rebel in his own way. However, towards the end of the film, the enlightened Max realises that he never needed to climb the Everest to prove people wrong or to be liked, as it is clear his family and friends clearly support and love him regardless.

The director has delivered an impressive debut feature, with this incredibly detailed approach to the story of Max and his ambition to reach base camp at Everest.

It would have been easy to cut out the tough moments that reveal the struggles of this journey. But as he is also the editor of the film, the director has left it all in. A complete warts and all approach, with no fluff. The result is a brutally honest take of what this journey was like for all involved. The director brings you on the journey with them. You are right there, on the rocky path, feeling what it was like, and wondering if you would have the courage to take the journey yourself.

There is so much incredible footage, from Max's childhood, and throughout his life, that you really get to know him. You understand who he is and why he feels he must do this. Throughout it all he is supported by his partner Candy, and through her, you can also understand where Max gets his additional drive from. Her support is unyielding and impressive. As a result you cheer both of them on.

To deliver such a strong documentary for his feature debut, bodes well, and this director is one to watch for sure.