THE FORBIDDEN QUEST

(1993) dir. Peter Delpeut; 70min.

FRIDAY, May 27th at 7 & 9:30pm

SATURDAY, May 28th at 7 & 9:30pm

SUNDAY, May 29th at 3pm

The Forbidden Quest uses found-footage from polar expeditions to construct a narrative consisting of adventure and cannibalism. The mockumentary is a serious and well-crafted tale of the peril and unknown dangers of the Arctic. Set in Ireland in the 1930s, J.C. Sullivan, the only survivor of a series of 1905 polar expeditions, uses footage captured during the expeditions to recount the plight of his fellow travelers and their mission. The Forbidden Quest features footage from actual expeditions to the South Pole, captured during the first three decades of the 20th century, to produce a fictional story warning viewers of the price of mortality. The Forbidden Quest intercuts new and old footage to construct the narrative resulting in mystery and magicism that carry the film's unconventional structure. Ultimately, the archive footage of Antarctica steals the show because of the awe the frozen and unknown landscape commands.