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Dead of Winter: The Donner Party

"How far would you go to keep your family safe?"

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.

Top Cast

  • Powers Boothe

    Powers Boothe

    Narrator

  • Darby Hinton

    Darby Hinton

    George Donner

  • Kim Lankford

    Kim Lankford

    Tamsen Donner

  • Darrin Miller

    Darrin Miller

    James Reed

  • Libby Baker

    Libby Baker

    Margaret Reed

  • Danielle Shumard

    Danielle Shumard

    Virginia Reed

  • David White

    David White

    William Eddy

  • Kit Leonard Dennis

    Kit Leonard Dennis

    Patrick Breen

  • Bear Fuerst

    Bear Fuerst

    Lewis Keseberg

Overview

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.

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