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The Raftsmen

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Twelve adventure-mad misfits set out to cross the world’s largest ocean... on three log rafts. Fifty years on, revisit this perilous and historic journey, beset by storms, sharks, and frayed nerves. In 1973, 12 men gathered in Ecuador at the start of a seemingly impossible mission. At the helm was Captain Vital Aslar, a prophet-like leader with a Salvador Dali-inspired dream to cross the South Pacific -- roughly 14,500 kilometers, non-stop. The largely inexperienced crew began by building their own vessels from trees they'd felled. Then they headed out into the blue: navigating by the sun and stars, they encounter myriad creatures, tempests and doldrums as they make their way from Ecuador towards Australia. Award-winning documentarian Chadden Hunter blends original 16mm footage with stories from the surviving rafters, vividly conjuring a dreamlike adventure in which each voyager is pushed to their limits.

Cast & Crew

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Chadden Hunter

Director

Chris Bamford

Screenwriter

Chadden Hunter

Producer

William Ward

Producer

Bettina Dalton

Executive Producer

Anna Godas

Executive Producer
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The Raftsmen

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Movie Info

Synopsis Twelve adventure-mad misfits set out to cross the world’s largest ocean... on three log rafts. Fifty years on, revisit this perilous and historic journey, beset by storms, sharks, and frayed nerves. In 1973, 12 men gathered in Ecuador at the start of a seemingly impossible mission. At the helm was Captain Vital Aslar, a prophet-like leader with a Salvador Dali-inspired dream to cross the South Pacific -- roughly 14,500 kilometers, non-stop. The largely inexperienced crew began by building their own vessels from trees they'd felled. Then they headed out into the blue: navigating by the sun and stars, they encounter myriad creatures, tempests and doldrums as they make their way from Ecuador towards Australia. Award-winning documentarian Chadden Hunter blends original 16mm footage with stories from the surviving rafters, vividly conjuring a dreamlike adventure in which each voyager is pushed to their limits.
Director
Chadden Hunter
Producer
Chadden Hunter, William Ward
Screenwriter
Chris Bamford
Production Co
WildBear Entertainment
Genre
Documentary
Original Language
English
Runtime
1h 21m