In Which the Arctic Explorer Sir John Franklin Attempts to Navigate a Northwest Passage
running time: 23:38
1995
color, sound
with Amanda Alic, Brian Block, Steven Caruso, Hidema Nakajima, Edie Winograde and Matthew A. Crenson. voice-over by Chris Falcinelli and Park Borchert. additional camerawork by Amanda Alic, William H. Horn and Dianna Ilk.
A meditation on the exploits of 19th century explorer Sir John Franklin. The difference between scientific exploration and attempts to "conquer" nature were thin indeed when Franklin began his ill-fated expedition. The video uses natural history and science museums as a stage on which to examine Western attitudes toward the natural world—museums, especially very old ones, convey in their displays many of the ideological underpinnings of the scientific exercise. Fragments of the dramatic reenactment, beloved of Discovery Channel documentaries, echo throughout this anachronistic pseudo-documentary.