AS THE ARCTIC POLAR ICE CAP MELTS, REACHING THE NORTH POLE HAS BECOME INCREASINGLY DANGEROUS. YET AN EXPEDITION OF ORDINARY WOMEN FROM THE ARAB WORLD AND THE WEST STRAP ON SKIS AND HAUL HEAVING SLEDGES TOWARD TRUE NORTH, AGAINST ALL ODDS AND POLAR ADVICE.
AWARD-WINNING FILMMAKER, HOLLY MORRIS, CAPTURES IT ALL, FROM FROSTBITE AND POLAR BEAR THREATS, TO SEXISM AND SELF-DOUBT IN THIS INTIMATE STORY OF RESILIENCE, SURVIVAL AND GLOBAL CITIZENRY — ON WHAT MAY BE THE LAST-EVER EXPEDITION TO THE TOP OF THE WORLD.
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THE FILM CREW
Arctic cinematographers Kathryn Barrows (left) and Ingeborg Jakobsen (middle), and director Holly Morris (right) shooting on 4K Canon C-300s, Go Pros & drones, and capturing first-of-its-kind Virtual Reality/360 footage on Google Jump Halo, and Rylo 360 cameras.
Photo credit: Renan Ozturk
DIRECTOR
Holly Morris
Director and Producer Holly Morris’s The Babushkas of Chernobyl premiered at the LA Film Festival, and won the Jury Award for Directing - the first of 20 awards the film has received. After its theatrical run, the film broadcast across the world. The story of the film is based on Morris' print journalism and popular TED Talk. Morris’ other films featuring female role models include Behind Closed Chadors (Iran), Holy Cow (India), Mana Wahines (New Zealand) and Paradox Found (Cuba), part of the Adventure Divas series broadcast nationally on PBS and worldwide. The author of Adventure Divas: Searching the Globe for a New Kind of Heroine (Random House), and former editorial director of Seal Press, Morris is a longtime host of Globe Trekker (PBS). Morris’ print journalism has been featured in Outside, National Geographic Adventure, SLATE & the New York Times and her film work has received many notable grants, including from the National Endowment for the Arts, The Redford Center, Fork Films, Chicken & Egg Pictures and the San Francisco Film Society.
PRODUCERS
Producer: Eleanor Wilson
Eleanor Wilson is a writer/director/producer from Adelaide, Australia. Her feature directorial debut SAVE YOURSELVES!, which she co-wrote and co-directed with Alex H. Fischer, premiered in the US dramatic competition at Sundance Film Festival 2020, and was released by Bleecker Street & Hulu. She is currently developing projects with A24 and Amazon. She impact produced The Babushkas of Chernobyl.
Producer: Michael Kovnat
Michael Kovnat is a former Executive Producer with the National Geographic Channel, where he oversaw documentaries and science series such as StarTalk with Neil deGrasse Tyson and Brain Games. He is a three-time Emmy nominee and one-time Emmy winner. He has produced documentaries and series for Discovery, Science Channel, History, Animal Planet, New York Times Television, and many other networks.
Impact Manager: Jenn Lacy
