In director Bob Rafelson's MOUNTAINS OF THE MOON, Richard Francis Burton (Patrick Bergin) and John Hanning Speke (Iain Glen), two of history's most remarkable adventurers, set out to Africa in 1854 to find the mysterious source of the Nile River, their expedition supported by the Royal Geographic Society. Their quest is treacherous--the two men face intense hardship in the African wilderness and must confront native tribes that proceed to capture them and hold Burton hostage while torturing him. Back home in England, the treachery continues as Speke turns against Burton, and their friendship dissolves in acrimony. Based on the novel BURTON AND SPEKE by William Harrison, Rafelson's film is a remarkably lush production, largely shot on the actual locations where the events occurred.