Based on the real events of The Donner Party tragedy. The Donner Party was a group of California-bound American settlers caught up in the western expansion of the 1840s. After becoming snowbound in the Sierra Nevada during the winter of 1846-1847, a number of the trapped settlers joined together in a final effort to reach California and organize a rescue party.

Doomed attempt to get to California in 1846. More than just a riveting tale of death, endurance and survival. The Donner Party's nightmarish journey penetrated to the very heart of the American Dream at a crucial phase of the nation's "manifest destiny." Touching some of the most powerful social, economic and political currents of the time, this extraordinary narrative remains one of the most compelling and enduring episodes to come out of the West.

What starts out as a voyage to the West in pursuit of the American Dream quickly turns deadly for the Donner party after a series of bad decisions and severe weather. Trapped in the Sierra Nevada Mountains, this group of nearly 80 settlers fell prey to sub-zero temperatures, torrential rainfalls, extreme heat, and ten-foot snow drifts. Punishing storms trapped the party with nearly no food or shelter for 5 months in the Sierra Nevada mountains. Many died, some succumbed to cannibalism to survive, and others delved deeply into their faith while waiting to be rescued. “The Donner Party” explores this exciting journey through a hybrid of first-person narration, remarkable reenactments, expert interviews, CGI, and archival materials.

Snowbound and desperate, some of the Donner Party died of starvation. Some of them did not. They all sang.