Honouring Scott at the Antarctic Festival 2008
Honouring Scott at the Antarctic Festival 2008
No event tells more of the harshness and the dangers of Antarctica than the heroic bid by Robert Falcon Scott to be the first to reach the South Pole in 1911.
The scope of the tragedy - as well as the heroism - is tellingly told in the 1948 movie, Scott of the Antarctic.
The Antarctic Heritage Trust, together with the Christchurch City Council is offering two screenings of the movie at the Bailies Bar at Warners Hotel on Saturday, September 27 at 4 pm and 7 pm as part of the Christchurch Antarctic Festival 2008.
The movie is a chronicle of Scott's heroic but ultimately tragic race for the South Pole; the entire team died during their return journey after losing to the rival Norwegian team led by Roald Amundsen. Sir John Mills, veteran of over 120 movies, starred as Commander Scott in the movie directed by Charles Frend and filmed largely on location in Norway.
The expedition base associated with the Scott’s
ill-fated expedition still stands on Antarctica (attached
picture) and is listed on the 100 Most Endangered Sites on
Earth. It is cared for on behalf of the international
community by the Canterbury based Antarctic Heritage Trust
which has launched a major conservation project to ensure
its survival. Proceeds from the event will come to the
Trust.
Meanwhile, the Antarctic Heritage Trust in a joint
initiative with Canterbury Museum has started work to
catalogue and conserve part of the iconic collection of
artefacts from expeditions associated with Captain
Scott
Conservators Melinda Bell, of Calgary, and Antonia Craster of Edinburgh have moved to New Zealand to spend the next six months working on the reserve collection at Canterbury Museum and then deploy to Antarctica to winter-over with another two conservators to work on the Antarctic Heritage Trust’s Ross Sea Heritage Restoration Project.
The two year project at Canterbury Museum will see the conservation of reindeer sleeping bags, tents and numerous iconic objects from the early expeditions
Programme for Scott of the
Antarctic:
Two sessions only: 4.00pm and 7.00pm. Bailies
Bar at Warners Hotel, Cathedral Square
Tickets: $15.00
(including complimentary drink on arrival)
Pre bookings
recommended: Tickets available from Antarctic Heritage
Trust: T: 358 0212. E:info@nzaht.org
or call into Bailies
Bar at Warners Hotel, Cathedral Square T: 366 5159.
Full
bar and food service available.
Proceeds to the Antarctic Heritage Trust’s conservation project to save Captain Scott’s iconic base, Cape Evans, Antarctica. Listed on the 100 Most Endangered Sites on Earth: www.nzaht.org
The
Christchurch Antarctic Festival is coordinated by the
Christchurch City Council and members of Antarctic Link
Canterbury. The festival runs from Friday 26 September to
Friday 3 October and includes a wide range of Films,
Lectures, Live links, Exhibitions, Tours and the Antarctic
Ice-Capade at Christchurch International Airport and the
International Antarctic Centre.
For full programme
details, please check our
website
www.antarcticfestival.co.nz/