I barely do... It was way back in June of 2009 when I first heard of the mission to travel to and through the Northwest Passage. We kept up with Bagan's mission through their blog, but when they were done it just went away.
I wrote about it
here before they started and
here after they had passed through.
We hadn't heard anything else about Bagan's passage for a couple of years and thought the project may have gone south and the documentary was never to be seen.
Well, today we received the Nordhavn Newsletter via email and it seems they're premiering The Other Side of the Ice in New York City next month.
Cut from the Nordhavn Newletter:
The documentary The Other Side of the Ice produced and
directed by Nordhavn owner Sprague Theobald, will make its premier in
New York next month. The film follows Theobald and his able-bodied crew
(including son, stepson and stepdaughter) aboard his Nordhavn 57,
Bagan, as they attempt to transit the Arctic's infamous Northwest
Passage. The journey began as a cause-driven adventurer’s calling to not
only fulfill the failed mission of the ill-fated Franklin Expedition of
1845, but also shed light on the environmental and political impacts a
proposed industrialized invasion of the strait would have on the native
people and endangered Polar Bears that inhabit the region. As the film
plays out however, the drama shifts focus on to Theobald and his crew,
who not only face the dangers of being trapped in large ice fields but
also the perils of onboard unrest.
Theobald has spent five years on his labor of love, from filming
to painstaking editing of the film and is thrilled about its impending
debut. The official opening of The Other Side of The Ice
happens March 8 at The Quad Cinema in New York City where it will run
for a week. Nordhavn president, Dan Streech, had the opportunity to
screen an advance copy of the documentary earlier this week. “It was as
riveting as you would expect a film about something of this magnitude to
be,” he said. Streech, along with other P.A.E. management, spent months
prior to departure discussing the Arctic exploration with Theobald –
with very real intentions of accompanying him. But circumstances
thwarted those plans so he was forced to watch and follow the adventure
online with awe, envy and often great concern. And when Bagan
successfully and safely completed its mission, an overwhelming sense of
relief and pride filled Streech, who identifies Theobald as a close
friend. “Watching the film took me back to those months that I followed
Sprague via his blog, sometimes communicating with him on SAT phone,
just hoping and praying for his safety, and being completely riveted –
and quite honestly – jealous of his journey,” said Streech. “It was all
that but magnified 100 times. You can imagine all that he’s going
through, but it’s never quite like the real thing.
“It’s a very inspiring film and I have an even greater
admiration and respect for what Sprague did – if that’s possible. I
referred to him before as a Nordhavn ‘home-grown’ hero. After seeing the
film, those words were never more true.”
Short Trailer:
The Other Side of the Ice (Teaser) from
HOLE IN THE WALL PRODUCTIONS on
Vimeo.
I really, really look forward to watching this documentary, it should be incredibly fascinating on so many levels.
Not to mention this will attest to the seaworthiness of the 57 Nordhavn. Can you imagine days and days of smacking the Arctic ice with that bulbous bow? Scary!
Can't wait to see the completed work.
According to Nordhavn:
For those unable to see the film in the theater, the full-length version
will soon be released on video and available through Amazon, Netflix
and other VOD services.
Cheers,
Istaboa
