What starts out as a voyage to the West in pursuit of the American Dream quickly turns deadly for the Donner party after a series of bad decisions and severe weather. Trapped in the Sierra Nevada Mountains, this group of nearly 80 settlers fell prey to sub-zero temperatures, torrential rainfalls, extreme heat, and ten-foot snow drifts. Punishing storms trapped the party with nearly no food or shelter for 5 months in the Sierra Nevada mountains. Many died, some succumbed to cannibalism to survive, and others delved deeply into their faith while waiting to be rescued. “The Donner Party” explores this exciting journey through a hybrid of first-person narration, remarkable reenactments, expert interviews, CGI, and archival materials.
Movie tag line: "How far would you go to keep your family safe?"
Production companies:
Character: Narrator
Character: George Donner
Character: Tamsen Donner
Character: James Reed
Character: Margaret Reed
Character: Virginia Reed
Character: William Eddy
Character: Patrick Breen
Character: Lewis Keseberg
Character: William Foster
Character: Patrick Dolan
Character: Patty Reed
Character: Charles Stanton
Character: Luis
Character: Salvador
Character: John Snyder
Character: Commentator (Atmospheric Physicist)
Character: Commentator (Author)
Character: Commentator (Author)
Character: Commentator (Author)
Character: Commentator (Author)
Character: Commentator (Survival Expert)