Kon-Tiki
classified 15 SPlease note: This was screened in Dec 2014
Part history lesson, part classic boy's own adventure tale and stunning to watch, this Oscar®-nominated film explores the legendary 1947 voyage of the Kon-Tiki. One of the greatest DIY experiments of the 20th century, it was the brainchild of Norwegian explorer Thor Heyerdahl (Pal Sverre Hagen) who, together with five men, crossed the Pacific on a balsawood raft to prove that South Americans back in pre-Columbian times could have crossed the ocean and settled on Polynesian islands. After financing the trip with loans and donations, his team set off on an epic 101-day journey across 8,000 kilometers, with the world watching on tenterhooks. Kon-Tiki uncovers the origin of Heyerdahl's idea and the events surrounding the group's voyage, and re-creates the journey in vivid detail. Most of the crew had no seafaring experience, and the raft, built by their hands from logs and lashings, had no power or navigation or reliable means of communication, save for a dodgy radio transmitter. But they had a parrot(!), and their wits, and an old-fashioned lust for adventure. A visually impeccable film, with real soul, this is rip-roaring, tremendous fun.
Ticket prices: Screenings before 16:00: £5.50 full / £4.00 concessions. Screenings after 16:00: £8.00 full / £6.50 concessions.