Mark Anstice
Encyclopedia
Mark Anstice is a Scottish explorer, adventurous documentary
reality television
film maker
and writer
. He is best known for appearing in the Travel Channel
's series Mark & Olly: Living with the Tribes with Oliver Steeds.
and Asia
. In London
he joined the 5th Royal Inniskilling Dragoon Guards
of the British Army
. Anstice spent six years in the guards with operational commitments in the Middle East
, Central America
and Bosnia, leaving the service in 1995 as a Captain.
for 77 days to climb Puncak Mandala
in the Indonesian part of New Guinea
. This is the second highest mountain of Australasia, but is little known and rarely climbed (their ascent probably being only the second one). During the expedition, the team had first contact
with some members of the Korowai
tribe. In the course of the expedition, the adventure documentary, Extreme Lives: Cannibals and Crampons. was co-directed and written along with Bruce Parry. The film won both the Banff Mountain Film Festival
and Kendal Mountain Film Festival
.
Mark subsequently wrote the book First Contact, published by Eye Books., which was published in 2004. chronicling the expedition to Mount Mandela.
In 2006, Mark took part in the recreation of the Terra Nova Expedition
of Robert Falcon Scott
and the Amundsen's South Pole expedition
of Roald Amundsen
as part of the BBC
Blizzard: Race to the Pole documentary. The documentary reconstructed the 2500 km expedition using the same equipment, food and clothing as the original two teams, placing the setting in Greenland
as dogs were no longer allowed in Antarctica.
In 2011 Anstice and Steeds were accused of faking scenes in their series 'Mark & Olly: Living with the Machigenga'. They were also accused of
maliciously mistranslating the tribespeople to portray them as 'sex obsessed, mean savages.'
The Director of Survival International, Stephen Cory, said of the series: "One stereotype followed another, with the [tribe] variously portrayed as callous, perverted, cruel, and savage. TV is now getting away with portrayals which wouldn't be out of place in the Victorian era." The allegations were highlighted by Dr Glenn Shepard, an anthropologist and Ron Snell, who grew up with the tribe. The experts, both fluent in the Machigenga language have decades long links to the tribe. The BBC, which rebroadcast the series, said it was seeking answers to the allegations from distributors Freemantle Media.
Documentary
A documentary is a creative work of non-fiction, including:* Documentary film, including television* Radio documentary* Documentary photographyRelated terms include:...
reality television
Reality television
Reality television is a genre of television programming that presents purportedly unscripted dramatic or humorous situations, documents actual events, and usually features ordinary people instead of professional actors, sometimes in a contest or other situation where a prize is awarded...
film maker
Filmmaking
Filmmaking is the process of making a film, from an initial story, idea, or commission, through scriptwriting, casting, shooting, directing, editing, and screening the finished product before an audience that may result in a theatrical release or television program...
and writer
Writer
A writer is a person who produces literature, such as novels, short stories, plays, screenplays, poetry, or other literary art. Skilled writers are able to use language to portray ideas and images....
. He is best known for appearing in the Travel Channel
Travel Channel
The Travel Channel is a satellite and cable television channel that is headquartered in Chevy Chase, Maryland, US. It features documentaries and how-to shows related to travel and leisure around the United States and throughout the world. Programming has included shows in African animal safaris,...
's series Mark & Olly: Living with the Tribes with Oliver Steeds.
Army career
After school, Anstice travelled extensively throughout AustraliaAustralia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
and Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
. In London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
he joined the 5th Royal Inniskilling Dragoon Guards
5th Royal Inniskilling Dragoon Guards
The 5th Royal Inniskilling Dragoon Guards was a cavalry regiment of the British Army in existence from 1922 to 1992, when it was amalgmated into the Royal Dragoon Guards.-The beginning:...
of the British Army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
. Anstice spent six years in the guards with operational commitments in the Middle East
Middle East
The Middle East is a region that encompasses Western Asia and Northern Africa. It is often used as a synonym for Near East, in opposition to Far East...
, Central America
Central America
Central America is the central geographic region of the Americas. It is the southernmost, isthmian portion of the North American continent, which connects with South America on the southeast. When considered part of the unified continental model, it is considered a subcontinent...
and Bosnia, leaving the service in 1995 as a Captain.
Television career
In 2002, Mark travelled along with his friend Bruce ParryBruce Parry
Bruce Parry is a Former Royal Marines Officer and Instructor who is now a TV presenter and adventurer, known particularly for the documentary programme series Tribe , co-produced by the BBC and the Discovery Channel...
for 77 days to climb Puncak Mandala
Puncak Mandala
Puncak Mandala , is a mountain located in Papua, Indonesia. Following Mount Carstensz 350 km to the east, Mandala is the second highest freestanding mountain of Oceania, Australasia, New Guinea and Indonesia.-Further reading:* at GunungBagging.com...
in the Indonesian part of New Guinea
New Guinea
New Guinea is the world's second largest island, after Greenland, covering a land area of 786,000 km2. Located in the southwest Pacific Ocean, it lies geographically to the east of the Malay Archipelago, with which it is sometimes included as part of a greater Indo-Australian Archipelago...
. This is the second highest mountain of Australasia, but is little known and rarely climbed (their ascent probably being only the second one). During the expedition, the team had first contact
First contact (anthropology)
First contact is a term describing the first meeting of two cultures previously unaware of one another. One notable example of first contact is that between the Spanish and the Arawak in 1492....
with some members of the Korowai
Korowai
The korowai, also called the Kolufo, are a people of southeastern Papua . They number about 3,000. Until 1970, they were unaware of the existence of any people besides themselves....
tribe. In the course of the expedition, the adventure documentary, Extreme Lives: Cannibals and Crampons. was co-directed and written along with Bruce Parry. The film won both the Banff Mountain Film Festival
Banff Mountain Film Festival
The Banff Mountain Film Festival is an international film competition and an annual presentation of short films and documentaries about mountain culture, sports, and environment. It was launched in 1976 as The Banff Festival of Mountain Films by The Banff Centre and is held every fall in Banff,...
and Kendal Mountain Film Festival
Kendal Mountain Festival
The Kendal Mountain Festival is an annual festival held in the town of Kendal, England, in the third week of November "to celebrate mountain culture in film, lectures, art and literature"...
.
Mark subsequently wrote the book First Contact, published by Eye Books., which was published in 2004. chronicling the expedition to Mount Mandela.
In 2006, Mark took part in the recreation of the Terra Nova Expedition
Terra Nova Expedition
The Terra Nova Expedition , officially the British Antarctic Expedition 1910, was led by Robert Falcon Scott with the objective of being the first to reach the geographical South Pole. Scott and four companions attained the pole on 17 January 1912, to find that a Norwegian team led by Roald...
of Robert Falcon Scott
Robert Falcon Scott
Captain Robert Falcon Scott, CVO was a Royal Navy officer and explorer who led two expeditions to the Antarctic regions: the Discovery Expedition, 1901–04, and the ill-fated Terra Nova Expedition, 1910–13...
and the Amundsen's South Pole expedition
Amundsen's South Pole expedition
The first expedition to reach the geographic South Pole was led by the Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen. He and four others arrived at the pole on 14 December 1911, five weeks ahead of a British party led by Robert Falcon Scott...
of Roald Amundsen
Roald Amundsen
Roald Engelbregt Gravning Amundsen was a Norwegian explorer of polar regions. He led the first Antarctic expedition to reach the South Pole between 1910 and 1912 and he was the first person to reach both the North and South Poles. He is also known as the first to traverse the Northwest Passage....
as part of the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
Blizzard: Race to the Pole documentary. The documentary reconstructed the 2500 km expedition using the same equipment, food and clothing as the original two teams, placing the setting in Greenland
Greenland
Greenland is an autonomous country within the Kingdom of Denmark, located between the Arctic and Atlantic Oceans, east of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. Though physiographically a part of the continent of North America, Greenland has been politically and culturally associated with Europe for...
as dogs were no longer allowed in Antarctica.
In 2011 Anstice and Steeds were accused of faking scenes in their series 'Mark & Olly: Living with the Machigenga'. They were also accused of
maliciously mistranslating the tribespeople to portray them as 'sex obsessed, mean savages.'
The Director of Survival International, Stephen Cory, said of the series: "One stereotype followed another, with the [tribe] variously portrayed as callous, perverted, cruel, and savage. TV is now getting away with portrayals which wouldn't be out of place in the Victorian era." The allegations were highlighted by Dr Glenn Shepard, an anthropologist and Ron Snell, who grew up with the tribe. The experts, both fluent in the Machigenga language have decades long links to the tribe. The BBC, which rebroadcast the series, said it was seeking answers to the allegations from distributors Freemantle Media.
Television filmography
- Extreme Lives: Cannibals and Crampons (2002)
- Blizzard: Race To The Pole (2006)
- Mark & Olly: Living with the Tribes (2007)
- Worlds Lost Tribes: The New Adventures of Mark and Olly (2008–2009)