Endurance documentary premieres this weekend

In 1915, Ernest Shackleton’s Endurance sank after becoming trapped in ice in the Weddell Sea, Antarctica. While Shackleton and his whole crew survived, the ship was lost, seemingly forever. That is, however, until in 2022, when the Endurance22 expedition discovered it 3,000m beneath the water’s surface.

Exploring our ongoing fascination with human endurance and physical achievement, a National Geographic documentary, Endurance, premieres this weekend, in association with the BFI London Film Festival. The film documents the inspiring stories of the two expeditions, drawing on original expedition footage preserved and restored by the BFI National Archive.

To coincide with the premiere and subsequent cinema release, the Society is showcasing its role as an education partner of Endurance22, highlighting our range of free KS1 and 2 teaching resources. The resources can be used in geography and history lessons, drawing on the Society’s collections of polar maps, photographs, documents, and artefacts.

Endurance previews nationwide on 14 October 2024. The BFI London Film Festival screenings are now sold out but you can book tickets to other screenings.

Society Fellows Mensun Bound and Dr John Shears are hosting Q&A sessions, following the Oxford and Cambridge screenings. Dr John Shears is a polar geographer and the Expedition Leader for Endurance22, and Mensun Bound was the Director of Exploration for Endurance22.