North Pole Expedition Centennial Events

North Pole Expedition Centennial Events

Arctic Film Festival

Arctic Exploration in Motion:
A Festival of Rare Film Footage

Friday, April 3, 2009
7:00 pm – 8:30pm
Kresge Auditorium, Visual Arts Center, Bowdoin College

Reception will follow at The Peary-MacMillan Arctic Museum.

 *Admission is free, but tickets are required - TICKETS NO LONGER AVAILABLE

Beginning in the 1900s, Arctic explorers were captured on motion picture film when they departed or returned from expeditions. By the 1920s motion picture cameras were part of the equipment of well-financed expeditions. Films were used to document expedition activities, as well as the landscapes, seascapes, animals, and communities of the North.

This program will present rare, historic motion picture film footage drawn from a number of film archives. The footage features Arctic explorers in action, Inuit working with Western explorers and involved in various pursuits, Western and Inuit technologies employed by explorers, Arctic landscapes and wildlife, pioneering scientific work, and explorers being welcomed home.

Films will be presented by Susan A. Kaplan and Genevieve LeMoine (Arctic Museum), and Audrey Amidon (National Archives and Records Administration).  Presenters will offer brief commentaries, providing background information and context for watching the silent films and film clips.

*Advance tickets are available at the David Saul Smith Union Information Desk. Out of state attendees can call 207-725-3062 about reserving tickets.