The Great White Whale + Q&A PG

‘Big Ben’ on Heard Island looms over 500 metres taller than Mount Kosciusko. A glacier-ringed Antarctic volcano that stands in Australian territory, this gargantuan peak has seen multiple attempts to reach its summit – including the legendary 1963 expedition led by Bill Tilman. 

From the stunning 16mm expedition footage and musical score to the quirky humour of the crew and the utter boldness of their quest, this award-winning documentary is one of the least known yet most audacious real-life adventure tales of the 20th century. 

In 2020, the NFSA assisted by scanning over 11,000 feet of unedited film, providing the filmmakers with digital 2K files so that this footage could be used for The Great White Whale. 

Join us for a post-screening Q&A with filmmaker and adventurer Michael Dillon. 

Michael Dillon 

Michael’s 50 years of award-winning adventure filmmaking have included projects with Sir Edmund Hillary, Tim Macartney-Snape, Tim Cope and many others.  In 2022, he was awarded the Grand Prize for lifetime achievement by the International Federation of Mountain Film, the first time anyone from the Southern Hemisphere has been so honoured. 

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