★★★★

A riveting, fascinating look at not just resilience in adverse conditions, but also the exhilaration and joy in discovering all things are possible, Exposure finds director Holly Morris and crew embedding with an all-female ski expedition to the North Pole.

Their expedition, which to date has been the last known ski trip to the North Pole, finds 11 women (along with an all female film crew) facing excruciating cold and almost uninhabitable conditions. With wind gusts potentially exceeding 60 miles-per-hour and temperatures dipping as low as -40°, they run the risk of severe frost bite, physical demands and challenges few, if any, have ever experienced, and a potential threat of hungry, curious polar bears who have seen their environment change year after year.

Led by British explorer Felicity Aston, who conceived the trip by bringing women together from cultures typically at odds with one another, only first-time expeditors were allowed to participate. Over 1,000 women applied for the opportunity and 11 were chosen. The women hail from places like Cyprus, Slovenia, Qatar, Russia, the United Kingdom, Oman and other locations. They come from all walks of life and backgrounds. And with a group this large, Morris has to make some narrative choices which undoubtedly leave a handful of interesting stories behind.

What we do see, what we do have shared with us, is gripping and compelling. With Aston leading the expedition, she is constantly in the role of protector and somewhat stern, through supportive as a leader. She, more than anyone else, understands the potential peril which lurks in an expedition like this one.

That includes urgency. Climate change is a character present in Exposure, which is, in part, why this particular expedition has served as the last known expedition. One character mentions that a return trip would find them swimming to the North Pole, and climatologists and surveyors have documented the significant changes to the North Pole in recent years.

As environmental crisis hangs over the film, the spirit and will of these women is inspiring. As Morris has described, the expedition movie is turned on its head a bit - women are occupying every frame. However groundbreaking, even if you set that aside, Exposure takes a most unique experience and finds ways to connect us with the journey. Morris’ film does what so many of the great documentaries do - the welcome us into a world foreign to us and embed us into the story being told.

Full of stunning visuals and captivating situations and characters, Exposure is a multi-layered and thoughtful film worthy of finding a wide audience.