FEATURE FILM / 1992

Au Sud du Sud

The Transantarctic expedition led by the American Will Steger and the Frenchman Dr. Jean-Louis Étienne took place between July 1989 and March 1990. It was the first successful attempt to cross the entire extent of Antarctica without the use of motor power. Six men of various nationalities, including Viktor Boyarksy (Soviet Union), Geoff Somers (Great Britain), Qin Dahe (China) and Keizo Funatsu (Japan), crossed Antarctica from east to west for seven months on dog sleds pulled by 63 sled dogs, covering a total distance of 6,048 kilometers, with temperatures as low as minus 45 degrees Celsius and long-lasting storms. Their aim was to draw global attention to the continent's endangered future and the early signs of climate change. The documentary relives this great human adventure, which took more than three years from the first meeting of the participants to the final success.