Catalogue

LOST AND FOUND: THE STORY OF AN ANCHOR (1979)

Note: This film documentary follows the discovery and subsequent salvage of one of Captain Cook's missing anchors, cut loose from one of his ships in August 1773, after encountering difficulties in the waters around Tahiti; this operation was personally funded by David Lean. Lean became interested in the missing anchor after discovering crucial information relating to its whereabouts during the process of researching background materials and scouting locations for his non-realised film project telling the story of the mutiny on H. M. S. Bounty. He approached Wayne Tourell of South Pacific Television with the idea of making a documentary following the events of the salvage operation; the original script written by South Pacific Television was subsequently revised by Lean and Bolt to include a wider range of material. The film documentary won the London Festival Choice Award at the 24th London Film Festival, 13 November 1980.