Kon-Tiki
“The Amazing Adventure Of Six Men On A Raft Across The Pacific! True! Thrilling!”
Synopsis
"Kon-Tiki" was the name of a wooden raft used by six Scandinavian scientists, led by Thor Heyerdahl, to make a 101-day journey from South America to the Polynesian Islands. The purpose of the expedition was to prove Heyerdal's theory that the Polynesian Islands were populated from the east- specifically Peru- rather than from the west (Asia) as had been the theory for hundreds of years. Heyerdahl made a study of the winds and tides in the Pacific, and by simulating conditions as closely as possible to those he theorized the Peruvians encountered, set out on the voyage.
Top Cast
Explore Star Directory →
Release History & Theatrical Window
April 3, 1951
Wide Cinema Exhibition
Key Information & Fast Facts
- Director
- Thor Heyerdahl
- Screenplay & Story
- Thor Heyerdahl
- Original Score
- Sune Waldimir
- Original Title
- Kon-Tiki
- Country of Origin
- Norway, Sweden
- Spoken Languages
- Norwegian
- Runtime
- 58m
- Production Studios
- Syncron-film AS, SF Studios
Creative Leadership & Key Crew
Thor Heyerdahl
Thor Heyerdahl
Sune Waldimir
Knut Haugland, Erik Hesselberg, Thor Heyerdahl, Torstein Raaby, Herman Watzinger
Olle Nordemar
Thor Heyerdahl, Olle Nordemar
Department Leadership Roster
Thor Heyerdahl
Writer
Thor Heyerdahl
Director
Thor Heyerdahl
Producer
Knut Haugland
Director of Photography
Erik Hesselberg
Director of Photography
Thor Heyerdahl
Director of Photography
Torstein Raaby
Director of Photography
Herman Watzinger
Director of Photography
Olle Nordemar
Editor
Olle Nordemar
Producer
Production Stills & Gallery
Official cinematic photography and background stills for Kon-Tiki.
Featured In Curated Collections
Editorial lists, community rankings, and cinematic collections featuring Kon-Tiki.
Documentaries
Auto-generated by festival-lists — do not edit by hand.
(Movies) Documentaries
list0
Academy Awards - Best Documentary Feature Winners 1943-2025
Academy Awards winners archive (Best Documentary Feature Winners 1943-2025)
Films I've Seen in Full
Any film I've seen in full from childhood to the present day and that's it. Some I may have seen only once or twice and others perhaps dozens of times. All films included regardless of genre, length, nationality, whether in black and white or color, live or animated, standalone pieces or part of a series.
Harvard University's Suggested Film Viewing List Non-Fiction Films - (120): (2012)
Similar Titles to Kon-Tiki
Movies sharing stylistic DNA, tone, and thematic storytelling
6.5
6.5
7.3
6.5![](data:image/svg+xml,%3Csvg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" viewBox="0 0 2 3"%3E%3Crect width="2" height="3" fill="%23161922"/%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Ghosts of the Arctic - Greenland Shark
4.0
6.5
5.7
6.7
9.0
5.5
4.2
8.0
8.0
4.5
6.0
More Like Kon-Tiki
Recommended titles matching themes, cast, and genres.
Frequently Asked Questions About Kon-Tiki
Quick factual answers about cast, synopsis, director, box office, and release information.
What is Kon-Tiki about?
"Kon-Tiki" was the name of a wooden raft used by six Scandinavian scientists, led by Thor Heyerdahl, to make a 101-day journey from South America to the Polynesian Islands. The purpose of the expedition was to prove Heyerdal's theory that the Polynesian Islands were populated from the east- specifically Peru- rather than from the west (Asia) as had been the theory for hundreds of years. Heyerdahl made a study of the winds and tides in the Pacific, and by simulating conditions as closely as possible to those he theorized the Peruvians encountered, set out on the voyage.
Who directed Kon-Tiki?
Kon-Tiki was directed by Thor Heyerdahl.
Who stars in Kon-Tiki?
The principal cast of Kon-Tiki includes Thor Heyerdahl, Herman Watzinger, Erik Hesselberg, Knut Haugland, Torstein Raaby.
When was Kon-Tiki released and how long is it?
Kon-Tiki was released in 1950 with a total runtime of 58m.
Who composed the musical score for Kon-Tiki?
The original motion picture soundtrack for Kon-Tiki was composed by Sune Waldimir.