South: Sir Ernest Shackleton’s Glorious Epic of the Antarctic
Showtimes
NOTE! The silent film concert is a special screening, and you cannot purchase a seat with the serial cards.
South: Sir Ernest Shackleton’s Glorious Epic of the Antarctic is a restored version of the 1919 film In the Grip of the Polar Pack Ice, which is one of the first feature-length documentary films in history.
A British expedition, led by Ernest Shackleton, set off in 1914 with the goal of crossing the South Pole by dog sled. Cinematographer Frank Hurley joined the expedition to record the historic crossing. However, the expedition’s vessel, the Endurance, became trapped in ice and eventually sank. Antarctic expeditions had claimed lives before, and the fate of the expedition seemed sealed.
However, though the Endurance was now lost to the sea, the endurance of Shackleton and his men had not run out. After dramatic phases, all 28 members of the expedition survived the journey, including Hurley and his footage.
In the end, The British Empire did get the propaganda material it craved, albeit not in the form it expected. It is appropriate to take a critical approach when dealing with the propaganda of the age of imperialism. Regardless, South is also a genuinely touching story of human’s ability to survive amidst seemingly impossible challenges.
The screening of this silent film in Kino Regina will be accompanied by the ensemble Kiri Ra!, formed by Lau Nau, Matti Bye, and Linda Fredriksson, with their genre-breaking sound.
Herman Tikkanen
