The Great White Whale

SCREENING AND Q&A

Deep in the wild Southern Ocean, halfway between Australia and Africa, a snowy volcano, almost three thousand metres high, rears up from the sea like a great white whale. Five times it tried to kill the first team that sought to reach its summit. Yet back they sailed, through the worst seas in the world, this time with legendary explorer Bill Tilman as their skipper.

This is the extraordinary tale of those first attempts to climb Big Ben, the smoking glacier ringed volcano on Heard Island, Australia’s loneliest, remotest outpost. It’s a tale told with quirky humour by those who were there, backed up with their beautifully shot archival expedition footage. Paul Jarman’s brilliant music score, pays tribute to the utter boldness of the quest, bringing to life this little known moment in Australian history.