Passage

‘Passage’ achieves something truly special in telling the story of John Rae and his remarkable journeys. In recognising that there’s more to a story than the story itself, John Walker blends established techniques to create a wonderful, rich hybrid documentary that paints a full picture of a man and his times, the lands he travelled through, the people he met and the struggles he endured. Walker’s choices in switching narrative viewpoints, in sparing use of dramatic re-creation and in bringing the modern world face-to-face with the Victorian are the sign of a fine director at ease with his craft and one who credits his audience with the intelligence to follow his line. A landmark documentary.