80 Degrees North: Sailing on Top of the World

Start: Friday, March 28, 2025 7:00PM
End: Friday, March 28, 2025 9:00PM

Friday Flicks return to The Old Theater beginning with 80 Degrees North, a documentary series that chronicles the adventures of two popular sailing crews, Delos and Isbjorn, as they explore the relatively unknown arctic waters of Svalbard, a Norwegian archipelago in the Arctic Ocean. Over a three-week expedition, the two sailing crews set out in search of glaciers, polar bears, and 80 degrees North latitude.
The goal is to circumnavigate the main island, which few people have ever done. These are unchartered waters, a frozen landscape of icebergs, glaciers, mountains, and fjords. SV Delos teams up with 59 Degrees North, who specialize in offshore sailing and who are newcomers to such northerly waters, where falling in means almost certain death within minutes.
This award-winning docuseries covers several threatening issues to the wildlife and ecology of the region, from the extreme rate of glacial retreating to the negative effect of cruise ship tourism, from the brutal history of whaling in Svalbard to the harmful impact of plastics pollution. In addition, the series includes a veritable "polar petting zoo" with numerous wildlife encounters, including polar bears, walruses and a gigantic pod of beluga whales. The scenery of Svalbard is truly breathtaking and the cinematography is exceptional.
The Old Theater is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization providing a venue for civic and cultural events serving residents and visitors of Oriental, Pamlico County and surrounding areas. The theater is located at 609 Broad Street in Oriental, NC. For more information, call 252-249-0477.