Film Premiere: The Endurance: Shackleton's Legendary Antarctic Expedition
Thursday, May 31, 2001– 7 pm at The Egyptian Theater

Seattle- In 1914, Sir Shackleton and his crew of 27 men set sail from Plymouth, England, to attempt the last great feat of polar exploration– crossing the Antarctic continent on foot. But just 80 miles off the coast, their ship, the Endurance, became trapped in the pack ice of the Weddell Sea and was slowly crushed. Shackleton and his crew were left stranded in the fierce Antarctic elements for nearly two years– battling illness, hunger, bitter cold, and undertaking a harrowing 800-mile open lifeboat journey. The most incredible fact of all? Everyone survived! Shackleton’s words, written after the expedition, eloquently express the enormity and ferocity of the adventure: "Not a life lost and we have been through Hell."

Director George Butler (Pumping Iron, In The Blood) and author Caroline Alexander (The Endurance, Mrs. Chippy’s Last Expedition) have created a gripping film account of Shackleton’s fateful Endurance expedition. The film incorporates newly restored 35mm motion footage, shot by Endurance expedition photographer Frank Hurley, superb new prints struck from his original glass-plate negatives, an array of candid images by Hurley and other members of the crew, and vibrant modern color photography of the monumental polar ice caps. Interviews with direct descendants of the crew and historians and poignant diary accounts fill in the dramatic details of the journey; resurrecting the astonishing panoramas, doomed ship, extreme hardships and miraculous climax of one of the greatest survival stories ever told.

Filmed in six weeks in Antarctica, The Endurance: Shackleton’s Legendary Antarctic Expedition utilized a crew of 100, working from two ice-breaker ships– the Akademik Shuleykin of Russian registry, and the Laurel from Chile. The Shuleykin carried replicas of the three lifeboats that Shackleton and his men used after the Endurance was crushed. The Laurel served as the base of operations for the aerial photography unit, carrying their helicopter and flight crew. While they were fortunate not to have had any accidents or major injuries during the filming, the three lifeboats were lost during the last week of production in enormous 40-foot swells.

George Butler has built his career producing and directing critically acclaimed documentaries, most notably his 1977 film Pumping Iron, which launched Arnold Schwarzenegger into international stardom. An accomplished photographer, Butler has published a number of books, including The New Soldier with Senator John F. Kerry. The Endurance: Shackleton’s Legendary Antarctic Expedition is the first major motion picture to tell the legendary story of the Endurance. Butler has also produced and directed an IMAX film about the Endurance expedition, which will enjoy a much-anticipated run in Seattle in the fall of 2001.

Caroline Alexander’s book The Endurance: Shackleton’s Legendary Antarctic Expedition, with more than 140 original photographs from the expedition, has been published in 15 different languages and has received international media attention. Alexander is co-curator of the photographic exhibit The Endurance: Shackleton’s Legendary Antarctic Expedition, which opened to record-breaking crowds at the American Museum of Natural History in New York in April, 1999, and will be on view at the Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture in Seattle from June 14 - Dec. 31, 2001.

George Butler’s film The Endurance: Shackleton’s Legendary Antarctic Expedition is an awesome man-against-nature saga that recently won "Best Documentary" at the Portland International Film Festival, was hailed as the "best kept secret" at Telluride, and was nominated for an award at Sundance. Don’t miss this exclusive benefit showing at the Seattle International Film Festival, where you’ll hear Butler speak about making the film, and mingle with fellow Shackleton enthusiasts.

All ticket sales for this special screening directly benefit the Burke Museum. Tickets are $25 per person for general admission, $75 per person for patron level. Patrons are invited to a pre-screening reception with the director at 5:00 pm, and receive priority seating. Tickets can be purchased through the Seattle International Film Festival at www.seattlefilm.com or by calling (206) 324-9996. For general information about the film and the patron reception, please call the Burke Museum (206) 543-5590 or visit www.burkemuseum.org.

04/26/01

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