Endurance: On the red carpet with Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi and team at London Film Festival 2024

The intrepid expedition of the polar explorer Ernest Shackleton across the Antarctic in 1915 is brought to screen in this epic documentary Endurance. The film blends historical evidence with modern technologies such as AI that make it possible to delve into the minute detail of an incredible journey that showcased Shackleton’s camaraderie and the bravery of his surviving crew of 27.

The breakthrough discovery of the ship at the bottom of the Weddell Sea in 2022 became the pivotal moment in this film and allows viewers to absorb close-up visuals from the past as well as glean a better understanding of the treacherous conditions the crew endured.

The Upcoming had the pleasure of speaking to the team behind the film. Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi chatted to us about what drew her to such a powerful story, her reasons for taking it on board and the importance of bringing history to life for a wider audience.

Historian and presenter Dan Snow spoke to us about heading out to find this hidden treasure and the moment it was discovered.

Dr John Shears speaks to us about the organisation of the expedition and what he hopes audiences will get from watching the past unfold, with history and modern technology merging together.

Subsea engineer Nicolas Vincent tells us the process of unlocking the artefact after spending time searching along the sea bed to uncover it and using his specialised equipment.

We spoke to Ruth Johnston about coming on board with this film as a producer and the way in which the documentary was pieced together.

Talking about the passion project was Paul Woolf who spoke to us about the collaboration between the large team to make it work for audiences on screen.

Bob Eisenhart chatted to us about the importance of discovering the ship and being able to have the chance to come on board and retell Shackleton’s story.

Ezelle Alblas

Endurance is released on 14^th October 2024.

Read more reviews from our London Film Festival coverage here.

For further information about the event visit the London Film Festival website here.

Watch the trailer for Endurance here: