Penelope & Jane: A Polar Love Story Synopsis

One Night Only
Introduced by Director Ashley Francis-Roy

In 1910, Captain Robert Falcon Scott set out aboard the Terra Nova, embarking on one of the most famous expeditions in the history of polar exploration. It's an epic tale of courage, endurance and sacrifice, deeply embedded in our national consciousness. But beneath the familiar retelling lies something more intimate - a story of secrecy, friendship and love.
When polar-history obsessive Allegra Rosenberg uncovers the private diary of Terra Nova officer Harry Pennell, she discovers extraordinary declarations of his feelings for a fellow officer, Edward Atkinson. Pennell describes himself as "violently in love" and they share affectionate nicknames in a remarkable correspondence that offers a new perspective on the men behind Scott's legendary expedition.
Now, following in Scott's footsteps across Antarctica, Allegra investigates a relationship that challenges our assumptions about masculinity, affection and sexuality in the early 20th century. Directed by Bafta-winner Ashley Francis-Roy, this film combines remarkable archive footage, contemporary interviews, and scripted drama to pose questions about how history is open to interpretation and which parts are all too easily erased.
Were Pennell and Atkinson lovers, friends, or something harder to define? Against the breathtaking backdrop of Antarctic exploration, Penelope & Jane: A Polar Love Story uncovers a deeply human story hidden within one of Britain's greatest adventures.