‘Girls Rewriting Destiny’ follows the journey of 27 women from marginalised backgrounds as they attempt to summit Ganja La Chuli, a 5,863-metre peak in Sindhupalchok, Nepal. Led by mountaineer Maya Gurung, the documentary interweaves personal stories of resilience with the larger theme of environmental awareness and economic opportunity through tourism.

The film establishes its stakes early with Gurung’s opening remarks on how Nepal’s mountains have long been a playground for foreign climbers, while local women rarely get to explore them. Her narrative arc, tracing her journey from Everest in 2008 to her efforts in training female guides, sets the stage for the documentary’s broader themes. The film is careful not to frame this as a simplistic triumph but as part of a systemic challenge—one where opportunities for women remain limited, and local economies struggle against migration and climate change.

Personal testimonies give the film its emotional weight. Saraswati Tamang recounts her struggle to afford an education, reusing notebooks and battling depression. Manmaya Tamang speaks about societal expectations that keep women from pursuing education or work. Sangita Bishwakarma, a Dalit woman, points out how caste discrimination still dictates economic mobility, emphasising the contradiction of being indispensable to society while facing exclusion. These stories add depth, showing that the climb is physical and symbolic of broader societal shifts.

The film’s pacing mirrors the expedition—slowly building from early training sessions and acclimatisation hikes to the unpredictable elements of high-altitude climbing. Natural landscapes serve as backdrop and silent commentary, reinforcing the documentary’s concern over environmental changes. A guide’s remark about melting glaciers and Kathmandu’s pollution underscores the precarious balance between tourism and sustainability.

The summit attempt itself does not follow a traditional arc of triumph. Adverse conditions prevent most climbers from reaching the top, with only a few reaching 5,500 meters. This deviation from the expected narrative of success works in the film’s favour. Instead of glorifying the act of summiting, it highlights the process—the training, the newfound confidence, and the understanding that their presence in these spaces is an achievement.

The closing moments return to Gurung’s vision—creating local employment, keeping youth from migrating, and challenging the belief that opportunity only exists abroad. The final remarks from the women reinforce this shift. Anjana Acharya reflects on how she had never even known such a mountain existed near her home, let alone that she could climb it. The film leaves the audience with a question rather than a conclusion: How many more opportunities remain unseen simply because no one was ever shown the way?

While the documentary is rich in personal narratives and social commentary, its structure occasionally meanders, shifting between individual stories and the larger expedition without always finding cohesion. Traditional harmonium tunes weaving through key moments, grounding the journey in a sense of place and a few local dialects, add authenticity. However, the pacing sometimes lingers longer than necessary on scenic interludes.

In the final moments, the women thank Gurung, calling her ‘Ma’am’ and saying she freed them like birds from a cage. The moment made me recall Maya Angelou’s ‘I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings.’ The film does not claim that their struggles are over, but it captures the shift—once confined by circumstance, these women have now glimpsed the possibilities beyond it.

Girls Rewriting Destiny

Director: Lawa Pyakurel

Cast: Maya Gurung, Saraswoti Tamang, Manmaya Tamang, and others

Language: Nepali

Year: 2024

Duration: 33 minutes