Doco follows female scientists on voyage of discovery

The Leadership film follows Fabian Dattner, CEO of the Homeward Bound program and more than 70 female scientist as they set off on a year-long leadership program culminating in a three-week Antarctic voyage. Photo: Oli Sansom.

Four years ago, 76 women set off on an epic Antarctic journey. The aim of this voyage of discovery? To foster science's next generation of female leaders.

Create a free account to read this article

$0/

(min cost $0)

or signup to continue reading

The three-week Homeward Bound voyage was the culmination of a year-long training program set up by Australian Fabian Dattner to unite women in STEM (science, technology, engineering and maths) from around the world.

It was Dattner's hope that the 22-day voyage would transform these women "into the sort of leaders they want to be".

The goal of the ambitious leadership initiative was that once these women were primed to lead in science, they would be able to make meaningful change around the world.

As the maiden voyage of the pilot set sail for Antarctica with the scientists on board, documentary maker Ili Baré and her small film crew joined the voyage to document the experiment 'warts and all'.

In the film, we see how on board Dattner's own leadership style and philosophy are both severely tested, as the women's deeply personal stories of workplace harassment and more are revealed.

Set against the planet's last untouched wilderness, The Leadership delivers an altogether unexpected and original reflection on what it takes to be a good leader, while unearthing the systemic obstacles to women's advancement in science and beyond.

The film, which is shot on location in Antarctica, Argentina, Indonesia, China, Australia, United Kingdom, France and United States, is now available to watch as part of the Melbourne International Film Festival nationwide streaming festival.

With its regular 2020 program off the cards due to coronavirus, the festival's films and events can be enjoyed from living rooms and laptop screens around the country.

And as part of the festival MIFF is presenting an in-depth conversation with three of the scientists featured in the documentary.

The women - soil scientist Dr Samantha Grover, freshwater fish ecologist Fern Hames and climate change activist Songqiao Yao - will share their experiences on the 2016 Homeward Bound voyage and discuss their groundbreaking work in the STEM field. The discussion will be moderated by ABC National's Natasha Mitchell.