Hollywood makes a lot of movies based on true stories. Some give accurate depictions of the characters and events, while others are loose adaptations of actual historical accounts.
Filmmakers often have to deliver a certain level of exaggeration for dramatic effects, especially if the actual events seem monotonous or too dull to put on screen; on the other hand, movies may (but not always) present a toned-down version of real violent tragedies to make the scene more appropriate for viewing.
Movies based on true stories allow viewers to witness someone else’s life and crucial moments without being directly involved in them – like watching from a clear window to the past.
The 2022 film Against the Ice tells the adventure of Ejnar Mikkelsen, a Danish explorer best known for his expedition to Greenland in 1909.
It is a historical survival drama that chronicles the struggle of men against unforgiving cold weather, illness, and hunger in search of the truth.
The film is based on a true story; it does not deviate much from the historical records, although there are scenes that contradict the known facts.
10 /10 Peary Channel
In 1909, Ejnar Mikkelsen and his crew embarked to northeast Greenland to recover records and maps left in the wild by explorer Ludwig Mylius-Erichsen during a previously ill-fated expedition to the same region.
One of the main objectives of Mikkelsen’s voyage was to verify that Greenland had always been a single piece of land and territory of the Kingdom of Denmark.
The lost record would disprove a claim made by American explorer Robert Peary that a channel existed and separated Greenland into two land areas. Therefore, the region north of the track belonged to the United States.
9 /10 Denmark Expedition
Records, findings, and diaries of the previous Denmark Expedition led by Ludvig Mylius-Erichsen were buried under a cairn (pile of stones) somewhere in northeast Greenland at Danmark Fjord.
They left the records, knowing they would never be able to return home. The map showing the cairn’s location was found in the body of Jørgen Brønlund, a member of the expedition.
Cartographer Niels Peter Høeg Hagen had died before Brønlund. Leader of the expedition Ludvig Mylius-Erichsen also died not long after.