Against all odds and expert advice, a diverse group of women embarks on an audacious mission—to ski across the melting Arctic sea ice to the North Pole. Director Holly Morris and her crew capture the gripping story of this extraordinary 2018 expedition, now known as the last-ever journey to reach the North Pole. Navigating through the challenges of frostbite, polar bear threats, sexism, and self-doubt, the women from the Arab World and the West showcase resilience and determination in the face of the urgent climate crisis.
Exposure provides an intimate lens into their journey, weaving together a tale of survival and global citizenship that transcends cultural and geographical boundaries. Exposure attempts to underscore the gravity of climate change and the profound impact of collective human efforts against the backdrop of the rapidly melting Arctic.
Exposure suffers at times from its ambitions: It tries to do too many things. This was a story that would have played out clearly and flawlessly with little additional dramatization. However, the focus on certain interpersonal conflicts -particularly several moments that can only be described as ‘peak white feminism’- puts a damper on the documentary’s mood. The poor maintenance of morale among the expedition drags the film’s pace to a near halt at several points.
Because of this, Exposure is a poor adventure documentary and a dissatisfying feminist documentary. The conversations that go on are filled with saccharine truisms that are laid bare when the European members of the expedition gang up on the Muslim members, asking them to answer for a culture that has existed for hundreds of years and insinuating their people’s lack of education. Never once is this portrayed as disrespectful.
For a film that bills itself as a “tale of global citizenship,” there was a constant air of religious and ethnic division that was never directly addressed and only served to undermine several key points the documentary tries to make. Exposure gives us more arguing than teamwork, more failure than adventure, and I think it does a disservice in its portrayal of these women. Optional Purchase.
Where does this title belong in public library collections?
Exposure may be a good choice for those trying to build an adventure documentary collection.
What type of college instructors could use this title?
Those seeking examples of microaggressions and their effects on group morale may find this title particularly useful.