In 1596, a Dutch ship under Willem Barentz got stuck in the ice of the Arctic Ocean near Nova Zembla, during an attempt to discover a Northeast Passage to Asia. They had to try and survive the Arctic conditions for eight months before they could return to Holland. They built a makeshift house on Nova Zembla, hoping for the best. One of the crew members kept a diary of the entire journey. With the help of the diary (plus lots of sound and interviews), Robert Chesal recreates that nightmare adventure.