SGS Summer Film Festival: Kon-Tiki

Directed by Joachim Rønning and Espen Sandberg (Norway, 2012)

The true story about legendary explorer Thor Heyerdahl and his epic crossing of the Pacific in 1947. Despite his fear of water and inability to swim, Heyerdahl decides to prove his theory that the South Sea Islands were originally colonized by South Americans. He and five companions set sail from Peru on a balsa-wood raft built from an ancient design. Their only modern equipment is a radio, and they must navigate using the stars and ocean currents. After three exhausting months at sea, they achieve their goal. View the trailer.

Screening will be followed by a Q&A discussion with Christophe Crombez, The Europe Center, Stanford University.

This film is part of the annual Stanford Global Studies Summer Film Festival running most Wednesdays from June 19 to September 4. This year's festival features 10 films from around the world that focus on the theme “Earth: Habitat for All.”