Review: EXPOSURE at Sedona International Film Festival

Holly Morris easily qualifies as a renaissance woman ~ a self-described changemaker whose highly acclaimed book about change-making women of action (Searching the Globe for a New Kind of Heroine) and documentaries (The Babushkas of Chernobyl, Behind Closed Chadors (Iran), Holy Cow (India), and Paradox Found (Cuba) have won international acclaim.

In her latest venture, this visionary film maker has extended her focus to a uniquely high adventure, the likes of which transcend the historically male norm. EXPOSURE, one of the features at this year's Sedona International Film Festival, is an awesome and inspiring account of the journey of eleven women to the North Pole.

Twenty-one years after twenty amateur women from the United Kingdom completed the first all-women relay expedition to the North Pole, an especially diverse group of women from European and Arab countries ventured forward to accomplish a similarly daunting feat.

The Women's Euro-Arabian North Pole Expedition team was the brain child of Felicity Aston, a British polar explorer and climate scientist, who figures prominently in the film as chief mentor and motivator of her team. Her global call for applications to the venture was not unlike that of 1997 ~ an invitation to women of diverse backgrounds who manifest personal commitment and motivation ~ but with a remarkable kicker: No experience necessary! Aston's aim was not solely to conquer the geography. It was an audacious experiment in cross-cultural communication and collaboration.

Given the background of the expedition's participants, their accomplishment was monumental. The trek culminated on April 21st, 2018, but only after seven days of navigating subzero temperatures and rugged terrain and, even then, after two years of preparatory cold winter and endurance training.

EXPOSURE is cinematically stunning in its scope, displaying with crystal clarity the majesty and breathtaking nature of the Arctic. Beyond the spectacle, however, is the film's profound probing of the human landscape of the eleven adventurers as they confront the challenges of the barren and treacherous wilderness.

Morris and her film crew (Kathryn Barrows and Ingeborg Jakobsen) record ~ with high fidelity to the expedition's mission ~ the rigorous preparation that the team underwent. They capture the intimate and challenging moments of information-sharing about distinctively different cultural practices. Sensitively framed close-up shots reveal each member's inner terrain, her face a vivid road map to feelings that range from excitement to doubt and from fear to elation. And, as the film progresses, it draws the viewer irrevocably into a personal connection with the subjects on the screen.

This review would be incomplete without acknowledging the film's heroes ~ a magical diversity of origins, ages and occupations ~ each of whom has gone on to fulfill her role as a change maker: Felicity Aston, Misba Khan (UK ~ finance manager and Muslim chaplain), Mariam Hamidaddin (Saudi Arabia ~ community entrepreneur); from Jeddah in Saudi Arabia), Ida Olsson (Sweden ~ kayak guide); Lamees Nijem (Kuwait ~ graphic designer); Asma Al Thani (Qatar ~ marketing and communications professional); Natasa Briski (Slovenia ~ journalist); Susan Gallon ( Susan Gallon (France ~ marine biologist); Anisa Al Raissi (Oman ~ experiential learning facilitator); Olga Rumyantseva (Russia ~ mountain guide); and Stephanie Solomonides (Cyprus ~ finance professional).

Note well: Overexposed, Morris's follow-up short that goes behind the scenes of EXPOSURE's development is scheduled for release in the near future.

EXPOSURE (88-minute documentary) is one of the feature films at the Sedona International

Film Festival's 29th Season, which runs through Sunday, February 26th.

2023 Film Festival Schedule @ https://sedonafilmfestival.com/2023-film-festival-schedule/ ~ Office: 2030 W. State Route 89A, Suite B-2, Sedona, AZ ~ 928-282-1177

Photo credit to Holly Morris

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