Returning to Newport with renewed family ties
November 11, 2009 Newport, RI -- Sprague Theobald, an Emmy-award winning filmmaker, returned to his Newport, Rhode Island home this week after completing an arduous five- month, 8,500mi filmmaking expedition through the Arctic in order to capture HD footage and stories for his next documentary. While footage that leaked through the filmmaker's blog has been deemed "stunning" and "other worldly", the biggest treasure Theobald found in the Arctic was his renewed family ties.
Aboard his specially outfitted 57' motorboat, Theobald brought with him a team of professional divers, sailors and filmmakers. He also hired three family members - son Sefton Theobald, stepdaughter Dominique Tanton, and stepson Chauncey Tanton. The four family members had not had the luxury of living together for many years and grew incredibly close amid the danger, desolation, and close quarters of the five-month voyage across the Arctic Circle. In the end, the family aspect added a profound dynamic to his story.
"Words can not express how proud I am of you,” said Theobald, at a final crew meeting in Seattle, WA last week. "Every one of you did your job above and beyond what was expected... and you kept it together and looked after one another when we were stuck in the ice."
By "keeping it together" and "stuck in the ice" Theobald refers to a harrowing two- day experience as the crew made their attempt through Canada's narrow and ice clogged Northwest Passage. No sooner did they enter the 30-degree water as it began to freeze around them. They were trapped and frozen in. They tried everything to escape and at one point the boat was being driven towards a rocky coast and the crew prepared to abandon ship.
“The sound was horrific,” Theobald said Oct. 26 while talking about being trapped in the ice with a reporter from Alaska's Bar Harbor. “I thought it was the hull — itʼs that grinding, cracking noise (like) youʼd think fiberglass would sound like if it was breaking...It finally dawned on me. Its the ice around us thatʼs making that all that noise,” Theobald said.
Ultimately, skillful maneuvering and a bit of luck landed them safely on the other side of the Passage intact where they proceeded across the Bering Sea, around Alaska and down the coast to their final port of Seattle, WA. Crew members re- grouped in Seattle for boat repairs, family matters, and to meet with film and TV producers about the project.
Theobald's expedition included more dramatic events that pitted the crew against foul weather, technical issues, icebergs the size of Manhattan skyscrapers, wildlife encounters, personality conflicts, and so on... all of which are drivinginterest from several TV networks. Theobald asks we keep an eye on his blog -- for developing news about the project, and for readers who want to chime-in and vote for scenes to be included or excluded from the documentary and TV series.
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Interviews, high-resolution photography, video clips and a teaser of Theobald's upcoming documentary are available at NorthwestPassageFilm.com.
For more information contact
Matthew D. Dutra
Co-Producer Northwest Passage Film
c/o Hole in the Wall Productions
Newport, Rhode Island 02840
Mobile: 401-935-8831
Matt@NorthwestPassageFilm.com
www.NorthwestPassageFilm.com
www.HitwProductions.com
