Survival

Whether marooned on a desert island or stranded by a plane crash, countless stories of survival are found onscreen. In both dramatic reimagining and reality television formats, these narratives showcase ordinary people in extraordinary circumstances. But why are these feats of human endurance so compelling to watch? Ellen E Jones speaks to Ray Mears, wilderness guide, bushcraft expert, and broadcaster who has spent his life teaching people how to stay alive in some of the most remote parts of the world. He shares what film and television gets wrong about survival - and why the witchetty grub deserves more reverence. Debra Granik, director of the 2018 film Leave No Trace, reflects on how sessions with a primitive skills instructor and Youtube shelter building tutorials informed her approach to filming. She also describes why survival can often include economic survival in some regions of the USA, and why a certain skillset is vital for everyday living, as evidenced in her 2010 film Winter's Bone. Mark talks to the daring wanderer and survivor Werner Herzog, a filmmaker with decades of experience in perilous scenarios. Werner details his fascination with the survival narratives found in his documentaries, Wings of Hope and Little Dieter Needs to Fly - and why finding yourself back from the brink of existence can lead to a greater appreciation of life. Producer: Mae-Li Evans A Prospect Street production for BBC Radio 4

You can listen to Survival online on Radio and Podcast. Open the player on this page to stream the available audio.

Survival is an episode from Screenshot by BBC.

This episode is 42:01 long.

This episode was published on Jan 16, 2026.

Yes. Use the heart button on the episode page to add it to your favorite episodes list.

Yes. This page shows related episodes from Screenshot when more episodes are available from the podcast feed.