Togo
The film flashes between musher Leonhard Seppala (Willem Dafoe) raising his dog Togo (Diesel) and the 1925 serum run to Nome. In 1913, Seppala and his wife Constance (Julianne Nicholson) welcome a ne…
Togo
The film flashes between musher Leonhard Seppala (Willem Dafoe) raising his dog Togo (Diesel) and the 1925 serum run to Nome. In 1913, Seppala and his wife Constance (Julianne Nicholson) welcome a newborn Siberian Husky puppy to their sledding dog pack in Nome, Alaska. While Seppala insists on immediately retiring him due to his small and weak state, Constance is strongly supportive of the puppy. Seppala says that nature has its own way of sorting things out and separating the strong from the weak. Constance says that the puppy is a survivor and deserves a chance. The young dog turns out to be close to unmanageable and refuses to stay at home when the other dogs are working. He constantly escapes by digging his way out, when left in the kennel, and seeks out Seppala's dog team, causing great disruption to Seppala's training routine. Seppala calls the puppy mentally deficient, undersized, unintelligent and not trainable. Seppala is from Norway and Constance is Belgian. Seppala considers Belgium to be a soft country. Seppala tried to get rid of the Husky twice, by giving him away to other mushers who wanted one of Seppala's puppies. Husky was returned the first time as the new owners found him more trouble than he was worth. In the 2nd instance the owner kept him locked inside her house, and the Husky broke through the window to escape and come back to Seppala. The young dog escapes by digging under the fence and again returns to find the other dogs training. From an early age the puppy has a tendency to run after wild deer. Seppala locks the Husky in the garage and blames Constance that the Husky is disturbing the hierarchy of the sled that he spent years in establishing. But the Husky escapes through a ventilation shaft and again reaches the location where Seppala was training his dogs. Seppala gives up and allows him to run with the others where, to his astonishment, he discovers that he is energetic enough to outrun the other dogs, and a natural leader of the dog team. He realizes the puppy has the potential to be a future champion. He decides to call him Togo, after another underdog, Japanese admiral Togo Heihachiro. He fully trains Togo to the point where he successfully wins the All-Alaska Sweepstakes, earning both Togo and himself some local fame. By 1925, Togo is the lead dog for Seppala's sled train. Togo is a disciplined dog and Seppala's favorite. In 1925, a diphtheria outbreak (a bacterial disease that affects the throat, nose, and windpipe. It can be fatal if left untreated) occurs in Nome, mostly affecting children. Dr Curtis Welch (Richard Dormer) says that 5 children had already died and 20 more are sick, and Seppala had just returned to Nome from a run with his sled. Nome is not on the Alaskan road system, and hence the only way into town is by sled, by air, or by a boat. The ports are shut due to the freezing of the oceans and hence sleds are the only way. Mayor George Maynard (Christopher Heyerdahl) plans to have the serum flown in from Nenana. The storm is a once in a generation event and even the dogs were scared to venture out in that weather. A meeting by town officials hears that air delivery is impossible due to the weather. The airplanes have an open cockpit and a water-cooled engine and have no hope of making the trip in the freezing temperatures. The meeting concludes that only Seppala has the skill to drive the 600-mile journey in such weather to collect the antitoxin. The one way run to Nenana takes 4 days. Eventually, Seppala is convinced to collect the serum and race back after he sees the condition of the children in the only hospital in town. He decides to take Togo despite the dog's age (Togo is 12, which is old for a dog). Seppala tells Constance and says that he could not let the children die as he knew most of them personally and would never be able to look their families in the eye. The town council meeting was full of mushers, but no one had volunteered as Seppala was the only one with the skill and the dogs to complete the task. Constance becomes concerned and says the journey will kill the dog, but Seppala insists on going, and tells her that without Togo leading the team, he himself would be unlikely to survive. Seppala starts his journey with his sled dogs with freezing winds sweeping the landscape. Before leaving, Constance speaks to Togo and asks him to bring back Seppala. Out in the plains, the sled encounters a blizzard with zero visibility, high winds and heavy snowfall. They almost fall off a cliff at the end of a steep down incline, as neither Seppala nor Togo saw it coming. Only quick action by Seppala saved the sled. Togo gets injured in the paw in the process. Seppala and his team tread through stormy weather and take a break at an outpost where a local doctor named Atiqtalik (Nive Nielsen) tells him that Togo is tired. Seppala continues on for miles, taking a dangerous shortcut across the melting Norton Sound to save a day's sledding. In the meantime, after he leaves, a relay effort is set up to bring the serum back, with different teams running an average of 31 mile stretches each. The Mayor sends an article to the associated press through telegraph, which is printed in Seattle, New York, Philadelphia and all the other major cities. Seppala eventually meets up with a fellow musher, Henry Ivanov (Brandon Oakes), who was bringing the serum to Nome as part of the relay, and is therefore able to leave back for Nome the next day. Seppala and his team head back across the Norton Sound again - a high-risk attempt to save time and strain on the dogs by taking a dangerous shortcut across the breaking ice. The team become stranded on a broken piece of ice near the shore, and he is forced to throw Togo to shore, where the dog pulls the entire ice floe to safety. The effort, and the ensuing run through the driving storm, exhausts Togo. Reaching Atiqtalik's outpost again, she tells him Togo is dying. All hope seems lost for the people of Nome, who turn on the lights and make vigils for the team in hopes of guiding them home. Nevertheless, Seppala gets his team back to Joe Dexter's (Michael Gaston) outpost as he, Togo and team recuperate. The serum is passed off to fellow musher Gunnar Kaasen (Shaun Benson) who arrives back in Nome. A reporter, confusing him for being the sole musher, announces his dog Balto as the hero who saved Nome, disappointing Constance. Seppala returns to Nome later, where the entire town come to his house to celebrate Togo's success. Seppala later becomes upset when a cured girl named Sally (Madeline Wickins) asks if Togo is dying. Seppala intends to continue training his dogs without Togo (who gained a paw injury during the run), but despite age and injury, Togo refuses to stay housebound and chases down Seppala who welcomes him with open arms. Over the next two years, Togo sires puppies of his own that prove to be famous in their own right, and contribute to the "Seppala Siberian" bloodline. Togo eventually dies in 1929 with Seppala continuing to train dogs. While Balto had received a statue in his honor in New York, Togo is remembered in Alaska for making the longest run and for being the true hero of Nome, and his offspring became prized by mushers worldwide for their sledding capabilities. 20 teams ran the serum run of 1925. 19 teams ran an average of 31 miles each. 1 team ran 264 miles.
Togo
Adventure,Biography,Drama
Film Details
The film flashes between musher Leonhard Seppala (Willem Dafoe) raising his dog Togo (Diesel) and the 1925 serum run to Nome. In 1913, Seppala and his wife Constance (Julianne Nicholson) welcome a newborn Siberian Husky puppy to their sledding dog pack in Nome, Alaska. While Seppala insists on immediately retiring him due to his small and weak state, Constance is strongly supportive of the puppy.
Seppala says that nature has its own way of sorting things out and separating the strong from the weak. Constance says that the puppy is a survivor and deserves a chance. The young dog turns out to be close to unmanageable and refuses to stay at home when the other dogs are working.
He constantly escapes by digging his way out, when left in the kennel, and seeks out Seppala's dog team, causing great disruption to Seppala's training routine. Seppala calls the puppy mentally deficient, undersized, unintelligent and not trainable. Seppala is from Norway and Constance is Belgian.
Seppala considers Belgium to be a soft country. Seppala tried to get rid of the Husky twice, by giving him away to other mushers who wanted one of Seppala's puppies. Husky was returned the first time as the new owners found him more trouble than he was worth.
In the 2nd instance the owner kept him locked inside her house, and the Husky broke through the window to escape and come back to Seppala. The young dog escapes by digging under the fence and again returns to find the other dogs training. From an early age the puppy has a tendency to run after wild deer.
Seppala locks the Husky in the garage and blames Constance that the Husky is disturbing the hierarchy of the sled that he spent years in establishing. But the Husky escapes through a ventilation shaft and again reaches the location where Seppala was training his dogs. Seppala gives up and allows him to run with the others where, to his astonishment, he discovers that he is energetic enough to outrun the other dogs, and a natural leader of the dog team.
He realizes the puppy has the potential to be a future champion. He decides to call him Togo, after another underdog, Japanese admiral Togo Heihachiro. He fully trains Togo to the point where he successfully wins the All-Alaska Sweepstakes, earning both Togo and himself some local fame.
By 1925, Togo is the lead dog for Seppala's sled train. Togo is a disciplined dog and Seppala's favorite. In 1925, a diphtheria outbreak (a bacterial disease that affects the throat, nose, and windpipe.
It can be fatal if left untreated) occurs in Nome, mostly affecting children. Dr Curtis Welch (Richard Dormer) says that 5 children had already died and 20 more are sick, and Seppala had just returned to Nome from a run with his sled. Nome is not on the Alaskan road system, and hence the only way into town is by sled, by air, or by a boat.
The ports are shut due to the freezing of the oceans and hence sleds are the only way. Mayor George Maynard (Christopher Heyerdahl) plans to have the serum flown in from Nenana. The storm is a once in a generation event and even the dogs were scared to venture out in that weather.
A meeting by town officials hears that air delivery is impossible due to the weather. The airplanes have an open cockpit and a water-cooled engine and have no hope of making the trip in the freezing temperatures. The meeting concludes that only Seppala has the skill to drive the 600-mile journey in such weather to collect the antitoxin.
The one way run to Nenana takes 4 days. Eventually, Seppala is convinced to collect the serum and race back after he sees the condition of the children in the only hospital in town. He decides to take Togo despite the dog's age (Togo is 12, which is old for a dog).
Seppala tells Constance and says that he could not let the children die as he knew most of them personally and would never be able to look their families in the eye. The town council meeting was full of mushers, but no one had volunteered as Seppala was the only one with the skill and the dogs to complete the task. Constance becomes concerned and says the journey will kill the dog, but Seppala insists on going, and tells her that without Togo leading the team, he himself would be unlikely to survive.
Seppala starts his journey with his sled dogs with freezing winds sweeping the landscape. Before leaving, Constance speaks to Togo and asks him to bring back Seppala. Out in the plains, the sled encounters a blizzard with zero visibility, high winds and heavy snowfall.
They almost fall off a cliff at the end of a steep down incline, as neither Seppala nor Togo saw it coming. Only quick action by Seppala saved the sled. Togo gets injured in the paw in the process.
Seppala and his team tread through stormy weather and take a break at an outpost where a local doctor named Atiqtalik (Nive Nielsen) tells him that Togo is tired. Seppala continues on for miles, taking a dangerous shortcut across the melting Norton Sound to save a day's sledding. In the meantime, after he leaves, a relay effort is set up to bring the serum back, with different teams running an average of 31 mile stretches each.
The Mayor sends an article to the associated press through telegraph, which is printed in Seattle, New York, Philadelphia and all the other major cities. Seppala eventually meets up with a fellow musher, Henry Ivanov (Brandon Oakes), who was bringing the serum to Nome as part of the relay, and is therefore able to leave back for Nome the next day. Seppala and his team head back across the Norton Sound again - a high-risk attempt to save time and strain on the dogs by taking a dangerous shortcut across the breaking ice.
The team become stranded on a broken piece of ice near the shore, and he is forced to throw Togo to shore, where the dog pulls the entire ice floe to safety. The effort, and the ensuing run through the driving storm, exhausts Togo. Reaching Atiqtalik's outpost again, she tells him Togo is dying.
All hope seems lost for the people of Nome, who turn on the lights and make vigils for the team in hopes of guiding them home. Nevertheless, Seppala gets his team back to Joe Dexter's (Michael Gaston) outpost as he, Togo and team recuperate. The serum is passed off to fellow musher Gunnar Kaasen (Shaun Benson) who arrives back in Nome.
A reporter, confusing him for being the sole musher, announces his dog Balto as the hero who saved Nome, disappointing Constance. Seppala returns to Nome later, where the entire town come to his house to celebrate Togo's success. Seppala later becomes upset when a cured girl named Sally (Madeline Wickins) asks if Togo is dying.
Seppala intends to continue training his dogs without Togo (who gained a paw injury during the run), but despite age and injury, Togo refuses to stay housebound and chases down Seppala who welcomes him with open arms. Over the next two years, Togo sires puppies of his own that prove to be famous in their own right, and contribute to the "Seppala Siberian" bloodline. Togo eventually dies in 1929 with Seppala continuing to train dogs.
While Balto had received a statue in his honor in New York, Togo is remembered in Alaska for making the longest run and for being the true hero of Nome, and his offspring became prized by mushers worldwide for their sledding capabilities. 20 teams ran the serum run of 1925. 19 teams ran an average of 31 miles each.
1 team ran 264 miles..