SOS ICEBERG
This film has been produced in cooperation with the Danish government,
under the stewardship of Arctic explorer Knud Rasmussen
and based on an idea by Dr. Arnold Fanck.
Directed by:
Diary of Professor Lorenz
At The Edge Of The World
Day 187 on Karajak Glacier,
the highest glacial wall in the world.
No man has seen this before...
the birth of an iceberg.
Day 218: Hunger!
Seals are heading for the sea.
Day 205: I want to see people again!
Day 205 on Karajak.
Spring will perhaps open up the ice front.
60-foot-high calving waves have broken up the ice outside.
Freedom.
Freedom!
The road is too hard.
Diary of Professor Lorenz
Then, gentlemen,
you all believe
that Professor Lorenz was not alive
when you stopped searching for him last October
and left Greenland.
Well, gentlemen?
Mr. Udet,
as aviator of the expedition, would you like to speak?
Yes, Professor.
Personally,
I still believe that an experienced pilot
couldn't have missed a single black spot on a white ice surface.
Mr. Dregen. You were saying?
I was saying, Lorenz is dead.
You agree, Mr. Kuemmel?
Given our search efforts...
Dr. Matushek?
You were also quite certain, right?
Well, I can only say...
that it would be inconceivable,
but the word "impossible" should not be in the vocabulary of a scientist.
Dr. Johannes Krafft?
Yes.
You were the leader of this scientific expedition
into Greenland's inland ice.
Yes, Professor.
I'm responsible for everything that happened back then.
Could Professor Lorenz have been alive
when you decided to leave Greenland?
Had there been a chance, I would not have left, Professor.
We do believe you.
But...
There is no but.
What you're suggesting is impossible.
Our winter camp was here, locked inside the ice.
And this was our summer camp on the west coast.
My friend Lorenz went from here to there.
He must have perished in this region in the snowstorms.
We could only search for him along this definite route.
He couldn't possibly have been alive.
Yet, he was alive.
Karajak Glacier, day 206. Stone hut.
Position: 77.3 lat., 68.8 long. Save my diaries, Lorenz.
Good Lord, Karajak.
How did Lorenz end up at Karajak?
It's hundreds of kilometers too far north.
Despite a compass and a well-marked route to the west coast.
What was your husband doing at Karajak all by himself?
Up there, at the edge of the world?
Without saying a word to us, he just left one day.
All of which...
we never told any of you at home.
Because...
taking such unauthorized actions is irresponsible on any expedition.
Yes.
Karajak had always been his dream,
his ultimate goal.
And I had to pay for it...
with my reputation as a partner.
And he with his life!
You must forgive him, Hannes.
He was still young.
And rash.
His diaries!
If we could locate his diaries...
Damn, some goddamn three weeks!
Three weeks? More like three years.
At least, we conquered Karajak.
Wanted to beat him to it. Not acting like a partner, the road is too hard.
Damned Karajak!
Look at the nice cabin he built.
Poor Lorenz.
This is going to be a tough job.
- Lost! - Don't shout.
It'll be all right.
Matushek, Dregen!
Good God, the diary!
Guys, Lorenz is alive.
What?
- Alive? Impossible. - It is possible.
Listen up.
"Day 283 at Karajak. My last hope.
I'll jump from ﬂoe to ﬂoe to cross the open fiord
to the other side where Eskimos live in the village of Thule.
30 kilometers of open water. Little hope of getting across.
I might be pulled out into the sea if the tide sets in too soon.
Therefore, I'm leaving my diaries here. "
Lorenz wrote this four days ago.
What now?
We'll pack up our things
and get going across the fiord.
Nothing more to say.
Across the fiord? Impossible.
Hannes!
Across the fiord? Stupid, crazy!
Okay, fatso. I can't swim either.
Go and pack up, he said.
Hannes, think this over some more.
What you're asking is impossible.
It's 30 kilometers to Thule.
It's 34.
There you have it.
We'll get trapped by the tide and the ﬂoating ice.
I know.
Think of the consequences. Look down there.
It's all open water.
Enough ﬂoes to jump from one to the next.
And then you ﬂoat out to sea on one.
He's dead.
So you'd give up on Lorenz?
Let's go, Matushek.
We have no other choice.
If only you were as advanced as this girl.
- Next time, she'll come to Greenland. - Yeah, of course.
She's better at everything.
Sensational news from the Greenland expedition.
Expedition sets out on dangerous search.
Diaries found. Lorenz probably still alive!
- Well done! - Satisfied?
Hella.
- News from Greenland. - What?
...still alive!
He's alive.
Go on, go on. Keep paddling.
Goddamn.
Keep left.
Join Matushek on the other side.
- All wrong. - Do it yourself if you can do better.
Look, Matushek. This is where we have to squeeze through.
- To the right, too much open water. - But what about the current?
Only over there. There's no other way.
We're drifting out.
Yes, out to sea.
Dregen, take the dog.
Here we are.
Nice place to spend the weekend, eh, fatso?
Me want far away from water.
Better up the mountain.
Great, then the next storm can toss you 200 feet down.
No, fatso.
You're not thinking clearly again.
Put up the tent right here.
I knew it. The circus goes up right here.
Matushek, come over here.
Don't dilly-dally.
Just you wait.
You'll lose your sense of humor soon enough
once you realize we're drifting out to sea.
Come, work makes life sweet.
We gotta do something or we'll go crazy.
Attention.
C-Q from DBW.
This is Wilhelmshafen.
We're searching for the lost Greenland expedition led by Dr. Johannes Krafft.
There hasn't been any news for weeks.
All radio operators north of 60 degrees latitude are asked to join the search.
We're looking for the Greenland expedition.
Where are you?
Lorenz!
Karl!
Look.
The punishment was harsh.
Too harsh.
- Too damn harsh, my friend. - No.
Be quiet.
What can I say? We're all ambitious when we're young.
- Why talk about punishment? - No, Hannes. I deserved it.
Because you four,
you're lost too now.
This is the music you'll have to get used to.
Hey, fatso. Why are you setting out four portions?
There are five of us in the boat.
He's with us too. You forget?
The dog? Me can make five portions out of him.
I'd sooner make ten out of you.
All for us. Not for Lorenz.
Not enough for us.
You want to let Lorenz starve?
Sorry.
We need just one polar bear.
Just one bear would help us.
Look, guys.
I lucked out fishing.
Now, let's feast.
We are waiting.
Matushek, come here! I have a connection!
I got a connection. Copenhagen.
Man!
They're looking for us. The whole world is looking for us.
Tell them we're running out of fuel and -
Shut up!
Get Matushek. I need the exact position.
- Go! - We need food!
Idiot, get him now!
- Guys, Hannes has a connection! - Unbelievable!
- Position? - 60 km south of Karajak.
60 kilometers south of Karajak.
Hannes, do you hear something?
They're transmitting.
We're waiting...
for reply.
We're waiting?
We are waiting!
Quiet!
SOS Iceberg
SOS from the expedition. They're on an iceberg heading south.
Attention. All stations!
Attention!
There is no doubt that the SOS call was sent
by the Greenland expedition led by Johannes Krafft.
They left three months ago
to find the diaries of the missing Professor Lorenz.
Based on the signals received...
We're sure to drift closer to the headland tomorrow.
The current continues along here toward the southeast.
Hannes?
No, Matushek. No man can cross that stretch.
Everything's being pulled out to sea
by this monster of a fiord.
We'd have to swim 12 kilometers.
Tomorrow it'll be 15.
12 kilometers?
Impossible in these icy waters.
- But you could rest on the ﬂoes. - No, Matushek.
With the water at 32 degrees, it's impossible.
Well, then it's all over.
- Did you catch anything? - No.
Nothing.
Let's get some sleep.
Stop! Are you crazy?
To the light! To the light!
Poor guy-
He can't handle it anymore.
I tell you, guys, he's going to be dangerous.
It'd be easy for you to jump in
with your nice thick fur.
Hey'. Hey'.!
A Mane!
Matushek, a plane!
Make a fire so they see us!
Smoke! Go and send smoke signals!
They need to see us!
Set a fire so that they see us!
No News From Pilot Petersen Danish Government Recalls Ships
No Hope For Expedition
Trying to get to Thule across fiord.
God help me, Johannes Krafft.
Help!
Matushek, where are you?
I haven't seen anything.
- Have you? - No, nothing so far.
- Go further south, at 72 degrees. - Yes, Mr. Udet.
We will.
- Hella! - Udet!
Fly over Karajak! Look for Hannes!
He's gone toward Thule!
Get Eskimos for help!
Understood! See you soon!
Udet is here!
The End