A special screening of the British Film Institute’s restored version of South, Frank Hurley’s silent film record of the Endurance expedition, with a piano performance by John Sweeney, a specialist in accompanying silent films. The film is both a unique historical document, and a tribute to the indomitable courage of a small party of men who set out on a voyage of discovery that turned into an epic struggle for survival. This restored version of the film has been constructed by the National Archive from a wide range of materials. The National Archive has applied its own tinting and toning to match the original prints, and has produced this handsome testament to a remarkable episode in the history of exploration.

John Sweeney has played for silent films since 1990 at diverse venues including Riverside Studios Cinema, National Film Theatre, Nottingham Broadway and the Barbican Centre, London. His performances bring to life the images on screen as they would have first been seen by audiences.

Film running time: 80 minutes