South: Sir Ernest Shackleton’s Glorious Epic of the Antarctic

An extraordinary story of survival in the wastes of Antarctica. Jan 2022 is the centenary of the death of Sir Ernest Shackleton, which traditionally marks the end of the ‘heroic age’ of Antarctic exploration. A record of one of the greatest survival stories in the history of exploration, South is the original film – exquisitely photographed by Frank Hurley – of Shackleton’s 1914-16 Endurance expedition to Antarctica, during which the ship was crushed by ice, stranding the crew. Now considered the world’s first documentary feature, South was restored in pre-digital days by the BFI National Archive with its original tinting. The film has been digitally remastered for its centenary release, with a newly commissioned score by Neil Brand.

Bryony Dixon, BFI National Archive Curator

See our To the Ends of the Earth season, and a special event at BFI IMAX.