Solo | |
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Directed by | David Michod Jennifer Peedom |
Screenplay by | David Michod Chris Thorburn |
Produced by | Chris Hilton |
Starring | Andrew McAuley |
Cinematography | Helen Barrow Jonathan Biggins Simon Higgins |
Edited by | Scott Gray Mark Fox |
Music by | Lisa Gerrard (composer) Sam Petty (Sound) |
Production company | |
Distributed by | Hopscotch Films |
Release date |
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Running time | 58 minutes |
Country | Australia |
Language | English |
Solo (also known as Solo: Lost at Sea and Solitary Endeavour on the Southern Ocean) is a 2008 documentary film directed by David Michod and Jennifer Peedom. It narrates the story of Australian adventurer Andrew McAuley who attempted a solo kayak crossing from Tasmania to New Zealand. [1] [2]
After a month at sea, his mission ended in tragedy. His body was never recovered but his kayak was, as were video tapes documenting his journey. These tapes, together with footage of McAuley's preparation and interviews with his support crew including wife Vicki, form the basis of this documentary. [3] [4]
In January 2007, thirty years after the first man-powered crossing of the Tasman Sea by row boat, Andrew McAuley set out on his quest to become the first person to kayak from Australia to New Zealand to cross 1600 km of one of the most dangerous oceans on Earth - the Southern Ocean stretch of the Tasman Sea. After a month at sea, Andrew had endured all the difficulties and a three-day Category 9 storm. On 9 February, New Zealand maritime authorities received his distress call but they could not save his life. His body has never been recovered.
Solo is a psychological portrait of McAuley's determination to claim a first and conquer the unknown - something that ultimately cost him his life.
Production of the documentary began in 2008, a year after McAuley's death. The film was to be based on his journey, and also utilise his recovered video tapes. [5]
Director Jennifer Peedom said about the subject of the film that "There's a very fine line between making it and not making it, and he didn’t make it. And it's only then that people turn around and say, "Well, you know, what are you doing it in the first place for?," you know. So, it is an interesting kind of area, and I think there is no black and white." [6]
David Michod the co-director on the film said that "That footage was so compelling. Just so powerful. I came into this thing just wanting to know what might lead someone to attempt something that would have such a powerful and emotional effect on him." He further added, "What I started to see really quickly was that the Andrew who existed on land in preparing for his trip or talking about how his first attempt hadn't worked out, was a very different character to the one out at sea. The one out at sea seemed somehow alive." [6]
The film premiered on 15 September 2008 on National Geographic [7] and then screened at the Sheffield International Documentary Festival on 8 November 2008. [8] After that it screened at a number of film festivals. On 16 April 2009 it was broadcast on ABC1. [6]
The film earned mostly positive reviews. Rod Yates of Empire Online gave the film five stars and said "As a tribute to a man – and man’s – insatiable search for adventure, it’s unforgettable." [9] Paul Kalina of The Age also praised the film by saying "The film is harrowing and poetic, and provokes difficult ethical questions about those who practise - and film - acts of extreme peril." [10]
The film DVD was released on 19 March 2009. [11]
Year | Award | Category | Recipient | Result |
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2010 | Australian Screen Directors Guild Awards | Best Direction in a documentary | David Michod Jennifer Peedom | Won [15] |
Edinburgh Mountain Film Festival | Best Film | David Michod Jennifer Peedom | Won [16] | |
Prague International film festival | Grand Prix | David Michod Jennifer Peedom | Won | |
2009 | Banff Mountain Film Festival | Best Film | David Michod Jennifer Peedom | Won [17] |
Festival du Film Voyage & Adventure, Montreal Canada | Grand Prix | David Michod Jennifer Peedom | Won | |
Vancouver International Mountain Film Festival | Grand Jury Prize | David Michod Jennifer Peedom | Won | |
Australian Film Institute | Best Documentary Under One Hour | Jennifer Peedom | Won | |
Hory a Mesto Festival in Slovakia | Grand Prize | David Michod Jennifer Peedom | Won |
The Tasman Sea is a marginal sea of the South Pacific Ocean, situated between Australia and New Zealand. It measures about 2,000 km (1,200 mi) across and about 2,800 km (1,700 mi) from north to south. The sea was named after the Dutch explorer Abel Janszoon Tasman, who in 1642 was the first known person to cross it. British explorer Lieutenant James Cook later extensively navigated the Tasman Sea in the 1770s during his three voyages of exploration.
A sea kayak or touring kayak is a kayak used for the sport of paddling on open waters of lakes, bays, and oceans. Sea kayaks are seaworthy small boats with a covered deck and the ability to incorporate a spray deck. They trade off the manoeuvrability of whitewater kayaks for higher cruising speed, cargo capacity, ease of straight-line paddling (tracking), and comfort for long journeys.
Trans-Tasman is an adjective used primarily to signify the relationship between Australia and New Zealand. The term refers to the Tasman Sea, which lies between the two countries. For example, trans-Tasman commerce refers to commerce between these two countries.
Australian Geographic is a media business that produces the Australian Geographic magazine, DMag magazine, specialist book titles, travel guides, diaries and calendars and online media. It published editions of the Australian Encyclopaedia. It previously operated the Australian Geographic retail chain stores and Australian Geographic Travel and Australian Geographic Adventures.
Astrid Bussink is a Dutch filmmaker. Her debut film is the documentary The Angelmakers.
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Alone Across Australia is a fifty-two-minute documentary released in 2003, which is based on adventurer Jon Muir's solo and unsupported journey across Australia in 2001. The motion picture introduces Muir and his exploits all over the world, mainly focusing on his journey throughout the Australian continent, from Porte Augusta in South Australia to Burketown in Queensland.
Andrew McAuley was an Australian mountaineer and sea kayaker. He is presumed to have died following his disappearance at sea while attempting to kayak 1600 km (994 mi) across the Tasman Sea from Australia to New Zealand in February 2007.
Thirty years after the first person rowed solo across the Tasman Sea in 1977, Crossing the Ditch was the effort of Justin Jones and James Castrission, known as Cas and Jonesy, to become the first to cross the sea and travel from Australia to New Zealand by sea kayak. Setting off from Forster, New South Wales on 13 November 2007 in their custom-designed kayak Lot 41, the two-man expedition succeeded after previous attempts, including the fatal journey of Andrew McAuley, had been unsuccessful. They arrived at Ngamotu Beach, in New Plymouth, New Zealand on 13 January 2008.
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Tenacity on the Tasman is a 2009 documentary film about adventurer Olly Hicks's attempt to circumnavigate the world in a rowboat. The film premiered at the ODEON Leicester Square on November 19, 2009, becoming the first independently distributed documentary to premiere at the theater. The film was produced and directed by independent filmmaker George Olver through his production company Pendragon Productions, and distributed globally as part of the Adventure Film Festival.
Cas and Jonesy are an Australian duo known for being explorers, endurance athletes, motivational speakers, as well as a writer and documentary producer respectively. Their given names are James John Castrission and Justin Roderick Jones.
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Oliver "Olly" Hicks is a British ocean rower, kayaker, explorer and inspirational speaker. He holds three world records for adventure. He is best known for his solo ocean rows and extreme kayak voyages. He first made the headlines after his solo trans-Atlantic voyage in 2005 when he became the first and currently only person to row from America to England solo and the youngest person to row any ocean solo. Hicks has rowed and paddled over 7,000 miles on ocean expeditions since 2005. Over 6,000 miles and 220 days alone at sea.