Operation Raleigh Seram “Not Quite Paradise”

On the Scientific Exploration Society’s Operation Raleigh, students from Britain’s National Film and TV School and other organisations were given the opportunity to make their own film on an expedition. Seven films were made and most shown on BBC2 TV. The film considered to be the best received an award. The teams did their own editing and production. On the remote Indonesian island of Seram an Op Raleigh expedition made scientific research studies of the dense rain forest. In spite of heavy rain and radio communication problems, the venturers carried on in the testing jungle terrain. However, ill fortune hit the expedition when photographer Paul Claxton fell to his death whilst descending a 3000 metre mountain and Ashley Hyett, a venturer with him, was seriously injured. Lying alone with no food or water for 4 days, Ashley was eventually found and survived to join another Raleigh expedition.

Filmed by a team from The Royal College of Art and narrated by Emma Freud. The director and assistant director (Simon Shore and Matt Lipsey)  went on to some success including Little Britain, Upstart Crow and others. Janardhan Rao (assistant) went on to achieve great things in the medical arena.