Kon-Tiki

THEY GIGGLE

Smile!

HE CALLS OUT

BELL RINGS

So, no smiling.

HE CALLS OUT

"The Faa-hoka is the Marquisian variety of pineapple.

"It was found in abundance by the first European explorers."

THEY SPEAK IN FRENCH

HE TRANSLATES

-So how long are you in New York?

-Leaving in a few days.

Going home for Christmas.

My name is Heyerdahl. Thor Heyerdahl.

Yes. You already said that.

The wise men of anthropology are quite clear

that Polynesia was not populated from the east.

Wise men are not always right, sir.

Look around you.

Every book in here offers some theory or another.

Most written by one man, read by perhaps only ten...

of whom nine disagree with the theory.

But my theory provides evidence that Polynesia was settled from the east.

I've spent ten years writing and researching my thesis.

I lived on Fatu Hiva. Professor, I lived my theory.

What number am I?

How many publishers have you seen before me?

I know you've been to Barbeau and Benedict.

I presume Meade and Hill-Tout.

All scientists assume the world is waiting to hear from them.

The fact that I am your last hope ought to tell you something.

Yes, that scientific publishing is completely closed to new ideas.

It tells me that when you ignore evidence, nothing...

Listen to me!

You claim that the Peruvian pre-Inca civilisation was remarkable.

I agree. And that the prevailing winds and currents

in the Pacific down there move from east to west.

But, it is also the case that Tiki could not have travelled

to Polynesia because his people had no boats!

No. But they had rafts.

They had balsa wood rafts.

Rafts!

HE CHUCKLES

Now that would be evidence!

You want your theory to be accepted? You want to be right? Then go ahead.

Drift from Peru to Polynesia on a balsa wood raft.

Good luck!

Gentlemen.

Your magazine will be with me on a raft.

At the mercy of the winds, all the way to Polynesia.

It's further than from Chicago to Moscow.

Here to here.

5,000 miles.

You'll have some sort of engine in case of emergency?

No. Absolutely not.

We will surrender to the current and the wind, like Tiki did.

And by undertaking this extraordinary voyage, you are proving?

That the oceans were not barriers, but roads.

Not impediments, but pathways.

I will prove that South American people

sailed to Polynesia 1,500 years ago.

Every schoolboy knows that Polynesia was peopled from Asia,

not South America.

And it's my job as a scientist

to prove those schoolboys, and those who quote them, wrong.

Ancient man. Being sun worshipers...

Mr Heyerdahl.

Doubtless the story of Norwegians drowning in the Pacific

will sell a lot of magazines. But not this one.

This is a scientific expedition...

Our magazine has a higher purpose

than to finance and enable men bent on suicide.

I doubt he'll have any success recruiting anyone for such a voyage.

A dozen logs or so.

Big balsa wood logs.

And a hut for five crew.

All very capable, of course. The mast. The rudder.

There you go.

The Kon-Tiki.

I spent 22 days on a raft. Torpedoed.

North Atlantic, winter of '43.

Can't sail it. Or steer it.

-All you can do is sit there and wait to die.

-No, no...

These logs...

They are going to move against each other in the waves

and eventually they're going to break the lashings.

And you will each be sitting on a log

floating your separate ways at the mercy of the elements.

Thank you for your time.

-Mr Heyerdahl, may I help you?

-We have an appointment.

Mr Heyerdahl, you are not on the list.

Look under his name then. Watzinger.

We damn near died when the zipper froze!

THEY LAUGH

Mr Heyerdahl, you are not allowed in here.

Well! My friend from Fatu Hiva!

You look like a man who just got dumped by a glossy magazine!

THEY LAUGH

Thank you.

Don't worry, Heyerdahl.

Scientific Committees, my ass.

-Am I right, McGregor, or am I right?

-Always. Of course.

Frostbite. The winter of '24.

It taught me one thing. Do as the natives do.

Down to the smallest detail.

Don't use nails if they used rope. Don't use steel if they used bone.

It took their ancestors 1,000 years to learn.

Go with them and you just might hang on to your leg.

THEY LAUGH

Skaal!

Captain.

HE LAUGHS

-I'd like to change my ticket to Oslo, please.

-Certainly, sir.

-I want two tickets to Lima, Peru.

-And when would you like to travel?

-What's the soonest?

-One moment, please.

Tomorrow.

-Tomorrow then.

-Certainly, sir.

'Your collect call will end in 10 seconds.'

Just one moment, please. Thank you.

Yes.

Hi!

Senor Heyerdahl. If you have a minute?

Senor Real, nice to see you. Delicious breakfast this morning.

-Those huevos con tortillas are...

-About the bill.

-I know.

I'm still waiting for the money.

American dollars are hard to transfer these days.

-But it's been three weeks. I can't...

-I know. I know.

Just a few more days. Thank you. Thank you.

Your Excellency. Thank you for seeing me at...

Your Excellency, thank you for...

-Senor Heyerdahl?

-Just a glass of water, please. Thank you.

Jose Bustamante.

Your Excellency. Thank you for seeing me.

So, what can I do for you?

Actually, I'm here to tell you about something I can do for you.

And what might that be?

By crossing the Pacific. For 5,000 miles.

I will prove that Peruvians were the first to settle Polynesia.

Huh?

Peruvians discovered Polynesia?

And how may I help you?

Soups, knives, desalination tablets, dinghies, fish tackle,

-canned food, shark repellent.

-Does it work?

-What?

-The shark repellent.

That's what we want you to find out.

ALL: Skaal.

Excuse me.

No, you loco!

Gracias! Salud!

BELL RINGS

Wait!

Wait!

No!

Wait!

Help!

Over here! Over here!

Help us here!

Adios!

HORN HONKS

HE CHUCKLES

THUNDER RUMBLES

THEY LAUGH

RADIO FREQUENCIES SCRAMBLE

THUNDER RUMBLES

HE SCREAMS

"The Galapagos maelstrom creates waves over nine metres high.

"And its powerful roar can be heard over 10 miles away."

RADIO FREQUENCIES SCRAMBLE

MORSE CODE TRANSMISSION

HE MUTTERS AND SHIVERS

Yeah?

BANGING

MUFFLED SCREAM

MORSE CODE TRANSMISSION

"To Otto Munthe-Kaas, Royal Norwegian Embassy, Washington DC.

"From Thor Heyerdahl, Kon-Tiki. May 17, 1947.

"58 seconds south, 09 seconds west.

"The raft is keeping up well. We are on our way and morale is high.

"Having had problems with the radio,

"we have been unable to establish contact."

"The wind conditions are stable and we..."

HE CALLS OUT

HE LAUGHS

HE HUMS AND WHISTLES

Herman!

HE SHOUTS

THEY LAUGH

THEY LAUGH AND SHOUT

HE CHUCKLES

On course and shipshape,

we have now passed a critical point and spirits are high.

MORSE CODE TRANSMISSION

Every nautical mile is a nautical mile

closer to the proof I have sought.

Early man did not see the oceans as a barrier,

but rather as a means of communication.

This is science that cannot be done behind a desk

or by a committee.

That a 1,500 year old civilisation

possessed maritime and navigational skills

to successfully manoeuvre a balsa wood raft

over 5,000 miles.

We are using the same stars as they did.

HE LAUGHS

Whoo-hoo!

Thor?

Approaching Raroia Reef. MORSE CODE TRANSMISSION

If no word within 36 hours,

contact the Norwegian Embassy in Washington.

250 yards to go.

HE YELLS

HE COUGHS

HE CHUCKLES

HE CHUCKLES

Whoo-hoo!