In December 1914, Sir Ernest Shackleton and his 27-man crew set sail, intent on accomplishing the first crossing of the Antarctic continent. Ice conditions were unusually harsh that year and the wooden ship became trapped in pack ice, one day’s sail short of her destination. Ten months later the ship was crushed to splinters by the colossal force of the ice pressure and the men were forced to live on floating ice.

When the ice disintegrated, they took to their lifeboats and made a mad journey to a rocky outcropping called Elephant Island. The unprecedented events that followed include Shackleton’s 800 mile crossing of Drake’s Passage in a small open boat through a winter hurricane, traversing an unmapped glacier and the eventual rescue of every member of his crew, nearly twenty-two months after their journey began.

This documentary is a gripping account of this great adventure that goes far beyond the epic story. By drawing the viewer inside the individual experiences, this incredible story of human triumph, and Shackleton’s great leadership, is revealed.

Based on the best selling book by Caroline Alexander

2000 Telluride and Sundance Film Festivals, 2001 Seattle, San Francisco, Hong Kong and Hot Docs festivals, among others

A White Mountain Films/NOVA co-production in association with Channel 4, Telepool, SVT, Discovery International, the American Museum of Natural History and Shackleton Schools

Producer/Director
George Butler

Writers
Caroline Alexander
Joseph Dorman
Jeremy Evans

Co-Producer
Louise Rosen

Music
Michael Small

Narrator
Liam Neeson