Shackleton’s Endurance: The National Geographic Documentary Premier at BFI London
The rediscovery of Sir Ernest Shackleton’s ship Endurance, which lay undisturbed beneath the icy waters of the Weddell Sea since its sinking in 1915, has captivated the world. The story of its remarkable recovery in 2022, made possible by Saab’s ground-breaking Sabertooth technology, has now been brought to life in the National Geographic documentary Endurance.
Premiering at the BFI London Film Festival on October 12, 2024, the documentary, directed by Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi, Jimmy Chin, and Natalie Hewit, intertwines the ship’s dramatic past with the modern technological feat that located the wreck.
Sabertooth for success
In February 2022, the Endurance22 expedition set sail aboard the polar research vessel S.A. Agulhas II, embarking on an extraordinary mission: to find Endurance at a depth of over 3,000 meters beneath the Antarctic ice. Previous expeditions had failed, but this time, success was within reach, thanks to Saab’s advanced Sabertooth underwater vehicles. Designed for deep-sea exploration, Sabertooth combined autonomous operation with precision-controlled capabilities, enabling it to navigate extreme conditions and capture high-definition visuals of the wreck.
The Sabertooth system played a pivotal role in the search. Two of these state-of-the-art underwater vehicles, along with Saab’s underwater search experts, were crucial in scanning the ocean floor, capturing sonar data, and creating a detailed 3D model of the shipwreck. The vehicles were capable of operating at depths of up to 3,000 meters, a critical factor in the harsh and hostile Antarctic environment.
The Endurance, which was crushed by ice and sank during Shackleton's ill-fated expedition to cross Antarctica, had eluded search efforts for over a century. The discovery in 2022 not only solved one of the most enduring mysteries of exploration history but also provided historians and scientists with invaluable data on the ship’s condition, perfectly preserved in the freezing depths. The sonar and visual data collected during the mission have been transformed into a comprehensive 3D model, offering an unprecedented view of the vessel.
National Geographic’s documentary
The rediscovery of Endurance is more than just a historical curiosity; it’s a testament to human ingenuity and the drive to explore the unknown. The documentary Endurance explores this spirit of discovery, not just by chronicling Shackleton’s legendary leadership in the face of near-impossible odds, but by celebrating the cutting-edge technology that made its rediscovery possible. Using footage from the expedition itself, as well as restored archival material from Shackleton’s original voyage, the film shifts between past and present, creating a gripping narrative of endurance — both human and technological.
Directed by Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin, renowned for their Academy Award-winning documentary Free Solo (2018), and co-directed by Natalie Hewit, the documentary provides an intimate portrayal of modern-day explorers who, much like Shackleton’s crew, venture into the most desolate corners of the planet. The film not only covers the technological triumphs of the 2022 expedition but also dives deep into the challenges faced by contemporary polar explorers, showcasing their resilience, determination, and commitment to scientific inquiry.
Vasarhelyi and Chin, known for their ability to capture breath taking human endeavours, were the perfect duo to helm this project. Their meticulous attention to detail and their fascination with human endurance have previously been seen in films such as The Rescue (2021), which documented the extraordinary rescue of a Thai soccer team from a flooded cave. Their collaboration on Endurance marks another achievement in a career defined by showcasing human resilience against the most formidable of challenges.
BFI London
With the premiere of Endurance at BFI London, audiences were invited not only to witness the rediscovery of a ship lost to time but to reflect on the ongoing quest to push the boundaries of what’s possible in both exploration and filmmaking. National Geographic's documentary is a tribute to the spirit of discovery, a story that connects the past with the present, made possible by cutting-edge technology like Saab’s Sabertooth and the indomitable human will that still drives exploration today.
Endurance will be available to stream on hulu and Disney+, November 1st.