Plot summary

Bent on proving the radical, and perhaps, the heretical theory that the Polynesian islands were first populated by South Americans rather than Asians, the intrepid Norwegian ethnographer, Thor Heyerdahl, embarks on a dangerous expedition to retrace the steps of those first explorers, in 1947. Mocked by the entire scientific community, Thor, along with a small crew of five bold companions, set out on an 8000-kilometres, more-than-three-month voyage across the unforgiving Pacific Ocean on the Kon-Tiki, their handcrafted balsa-wood raft, employing only pre-Columbian techniques. In the end, during this treacherous journey from Peru to the Polynesian Tuamotu Archipelago, the formidable adventurers devoid of modern equipment finally proved their point with sheer determination and incredible obstinacy.—Nick Riganas