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On the Edge: Lewis Pugh

What does it take to become the first human to swim under the Antarctic ice sheet wearing nothing but a cap, goggles, and a speedo?

On the Edge follows endurance swimmer and UN Patron of the Oceans, Lewis Pugh, in his toughest swim ever.

  • Michael Booth
    Director
    Director, How to Catch a Tiger
  • Michael Booth
    Producer
    Producer, How to Catch a Tiger
  • Lewis Pugh
    Key Cast
  • José María Figueres
    Key Cast
  • Slava Fetisov
    Key Cast
  • Michael Booth
    Camera Operators
  • Kelvin Trautman
    Camera Operators
  • Anastasia Fetisova
    Camera Operators
  • Steve Peters
    Drone Operators
  • Kelvin Trautman
    Drone Operators
  • Caleb Etheridge
    Music
  • Kevin Graham
    Music
  • Project Type:
    Documentary, Short
  • Genres:
    Natural History, Adventure, Exploration, Expedition, Environment, Climate Action
  • Runtime:
    9 minutes 20 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    March 28, 2020
  • Production Budget:
    10,000 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    Antarctica
  • Country of Filming:
    Antarctica
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    21:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
Director Biography - Michael Booth

A seasoned wildlife and environmental filmmaker, Michael Booth has produced films in over 60 countries over the past decade. His more memorable experiences include: going to war-torn Libya with a mission to save lions at the abandoned Tripoli Zoo; being first to film a previously undiscovered Emperor penguin colony in Antarctica's Marie Byrd Land; and flying over active volcanoes with endangered gorillas in North Kivu, DR Congo.

Michael Booth recently served as the United Nations Environment Programme's Head of Multimedia (2006-2019).

Michael's work has won awards in international film festivals. His movie about an endangered Amur tigress in Far East Russia was a finalist at Wildscreen Film Festival in Bristol, UK (2014). His work has been showcased by National Geographic, GoPro, Discovery, and CNN among others.

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Director Statement

The goal of "On The Edge: Lewis Pugh' was to show the lengths to which this incredible man goes to bring the world's attention to his biggest passion, our planet's oceans. Lewis is the real deal, no show-boating, no stunts, he is 'just' a normal human being that pushes his body right to the edge by using the power of his mind.

Filming in remote East Antarctica was equal parts thrilling and nerve-wrecking. We had a very short window of time to produce this film in one of the most extreme environments and had to put both Lewis' health/safety first and foremost.

In the end, it all came together quite nicely and my hope is that the audience is awestruck by Lewis' achievement and Antarctica's incomparable beauty.