The motivation to navigate the North East Passage was initially economic.

The completion of this mission set the foundations for determining the status of the north east passage as a possible connection between Europe and the Pacific Ocean.

Subsequently, Cowper attempted to complete the Northern Sea Route (North East Passage) over the top of Russia.

The society created the Vega Medal in 1881 on the occasion of Adolf Erik Nordenskiöld's return to Stockholm, after he had discovered the North East Passage.

One of these, led by Semyon Chelyuskin, in May 1742 reached Cape Chelyuskin, the northernmost point of both the North East Passage and the Eurasian continent.

However, it was only in 1878 that Finnish-Swedish explorer Nordenskiöld made the first complete passage of the North East Passage from west to east, in the Vega expedition.

The film describes the last journey of Willem Barentsz and Jacob van Heemskerk through 1596-1597 when they and their crew tried to discover the North East passage to the Indies.

Gerrit is portrayed as having a relationship with the daughter of the astronomer, cartographer and reverend Petrus Plancius, who pioneered the concept of the North East passage to reach the Indies.

The Willoughbys were noted for the number of explorers they produced, most famously Sir Hugh Willoughby who died in the Arctic in 1554 attempting a North East passage to Cathay.

He strongly believed in the idea of a North East passage through North America until the failure of Willem Barentsz's third voyage in 1597 seemed to preclude the possibility of such a route.