Beyond the Pole
Encyclopedia
Beyond the Pole is a 2010 British mockumentary adapted from the cult BBC radio series of the same name. It received its UK cinema release in 2010. Directed and produced by David L. Williams Beyond the Pole was shot on floating sea ice off the coast of Greenland, and stars an acclaimed cast of actors and comedians including: Stephen Mangan
, Rhys Thomas
, Mark Benton
, Alexander Skarsgard
and Helen Baxendale
. Described by Variety Magazine as a cross between The Office
and Touching the Void
, the film follows the trials and tribulations of the world's first Carbon Neutral, Vegetarian, Organic expedition to the North Pole.
. Providing logistical support from the UK HQ (a caravan on a hill with big aerials) are Brian's wife, Sandra, and Mark's second best friend, Graham, a keen CB radio enthusiast. The documentary director, played by Helen Baxendale, does her best to make sure no one actually dies during the making of the documentary, but is way out of her depth.
format. Featured extras include on set improvisation, television interviews with cast, an onset diary, director Q+A in Los Angeles and a short film from the Friends of the Earth director, Andy Atkins.
Stephen Mangan
Stephen Mangan is an English actor, best known for his roles as Guy Secretan in the television series Green Wing, Dan Moody in I'm Alan Partridge and as Holistic Detective Dirk Gently in the 2010 BBC adaptation of Douglas Adams' book Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency, as well as Sean Lincoln...
, Rhys Thomas
Rhys Thomas
Rhys Thomas may refer to:* Rhys M. Thomas , Wales rugby union international prop 2007* T. Rhys Thomas , Wales rugby union international hooker 2007* Rhys Thomas * Rhys Thomas...
, Mark Benton
Mark Benton
Mark Benton is an English actor, perhaps most famous for his roles as Eddie in Early Doors and Howard in Northern Lights.-Life and career:Benton was born in Guisborough, in the North Riding of Yorkshire, England....
, Alexander Skarsgard
Alexander Skarsgård
Alexander Johan Hjalmar Skarsgård is a Swedish actor. He is best known for his roles as vampire Eric Northman on the HBO series True Blood, Meekus in Zoolander and Brad Colbert in the HBO miniseries Generation Kill.-Early life:...
and Helen Baxendale
Helen Baxendale
Helen Victoria Baxendale is an English actress of stage and television, possibly best-known for her roles in Cold Feet, Friends and Cardiac Arrest.-Early life:...
. Described by Variety Magazine as a cross between The Office
The Office
The Office is a popular mockumentary/situation comedy TV show that was first made in the UK and has now been re-made in many other countries, with overall viewership in the hundreds of millions worldwide. The original version of The Office was created by Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant. It...
and Touching the Void
Touching the Void
Touching the Void is a 1988 book by Joe Simpson, recounting his and Simon Yates's disastrous and nearly fatal climb of the 6,344-metre Siula Grande in the Peruvian Andes in 1985....
, the film follows the trials and tribulations of the world's first Carbon Neutral, Vegetarian, Organic expedition to the North Pole.
Plot
Uptight Mark (Mangan) and his good natured friend and follower Brian (Thomas) hope to save the planet from global warming (and maybe get into the Guinness Book of Records) by setting out on the world's first Carbon Neutral, Vegetarian, Organic expedition to the North Pole. Unfortunately they have no experience whatsoever and after shooting their cameraman after a misunderstanding, soon find themselves in a life and death race against a cocky gay (and Olympic) Norwegian team led by Alexander SkarsgårdAlexander Skarsgård
Alexander Johan Hjalmar Skarsgård is a Swedish actor. He is best known for his roles as vampire Eric Northman on the HBO series True Blood, Meekus in Zoolander and Brad Colbert in the HBO miniseries Generation Kill.-Early life:...
. Providing logistical support from the UK HQ (a caravan on a hill with big aerials) are Brian's wife, Sandra, and Mark's second best friend, Graham, a keen CB radio enthusiast. The documentary director, played by Helen Baxendale, does her best to make sure no one actually dies during the making of the documentary, but is way out of her depth.
Cast
- Stephen ManganStephen ManganStephen Mangan is an English actor, best known for his roles as Guy Secretan in the television series Green Wing, Dan Moody in I'm Alan Partridge and as Holistic Detective Dirk Gently in the 2010 BBC adaptation of Douglas Adams' book Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency, as well as Sean Lincoln...
- Rhys ThomasRhys ThomasRhys Thomas may refer to:* Rhys M. Thomas , Wales rugby union international prop 2007* T. Rhys Thomas , Wales rugby union international hooker 2007* Rhys Thomas * Rhys Thomas...
- Alexander SkarsgardAlexander SkarsgårdAlexander Johan Hjalmar Skarsgård is a Swedish actor. He is best known for his roles as vampire Eric Northman on the HBO series True Blood, Meekus in Zoolander and Brad Colbert in the HBO miniseries Generation Kill.-Early life:...
- Helen BaxendaleHelen BaxendaleHelen Victoria Baxendale is an English actress of stage and television, possibly best-known for her roles in Cold Feet, Friends and Cardiac Arrest.-Early life:...
- Lars Arentz Hansen
- Mark BentonMark BentonMark Benton is an English actor, perhaps most famous for his roles as Eddie in Early Doors and Howard in Northern Lights.-Life and career:Benton was born in Guisborough, in the North Riding of Yorkshire, England....
- Rosie CavalieroRosie CavalieroRosie Cavaliero is an English actress.She was trained at the Webber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Art.- Television and film work :* The Crimson Petal and the White - Jennifer Pierce * Jane Eyre - Grace Poole...
- Zoe TelfordZoe Telford-Television:Telford has appeared in the following:Absolute Power, Teachers, Agatha Christie's Poirot - Death on the Nile, Afterlife, Cutting It, The Golden Hour, Lewis, Agatha Christie's Marple - The Sittaford Mystery, as Eva Braun in Hitler: The Rise of Evil, as Abigail Thomas in The Palace, as...
- Clive RussellClive RussellClive Russell is a British actor.Clive was born in Reeth, England and brought up in Fife, Scotland.He is a familiar face on British television and has appeared in numerous television series including Boys From the Black Stuff ,Hope And Glory, Neverwhere, Great Expectations, The Mists of Avalon,...
Critical reception
Premiering in the Best of British strand at the Glasgow International Film Festival, Beyond the Pole went on to win numerous awards on the festival circuit in Europe and the US before its acclaimed UK cinema run. The UK TV premiere in July 2010 was Pick of the Day in The Times and The Guardian.Home media
The DVD was released on July 5, 2010. Currently the movie is only available in Region 2DVD region code
DVD region codes are a digital-rights management technique designed to allow film distributors to control aspects of a release, including content, release date, and price, according to the region...
format. Featured extras include on set improvisation, television interviews with cast, an onset diary, director Q+A in Los Angeles and a short film from the Friends of the Earth director, Andy Atkins.