FFAA presents: Ice Grave

11 July 1897. Three Swedish adventurers take off from Spitsbergen in a hydrogen balloon, determined to reach the then barely explored North Pole. After a few optimistic messages via carrier pigeons, silence ensues. It is not until thirty-three years later, in 1930, that their fate is revealed: on the remote Kvitøya, which means “white island”, their perfectly preserved bodies, diaries and photographs are discovered.

Of the 240 photographs, 93 could be developed, offering a chilling glimpse into their final days. Ice Grave interweaves these haunting images and diary excerpts with contemporary reflections by historians and writers, shedding light not only on a failed expedition, but also on the ongoing Western drive to conquer nature. The result is a fascinating archaeological investigation that connects the tragedy of three lost lives with our own time and the limits of human ambition. 

Ice Grave premiered this year at DOK.fest Munich, but documentary filmmaker Robin Hunzinger is no stranger to international film festivals. His films have been screened in Asia and America, at the Cinéma du Réel in Paris, and closer to home at IDFA and IFFR. 

This screening on Friday afternoon, 7 November, is presented in collaboration with the Fries Film & Audio Archive, and has a unique addition beforehand.