Encounters at the End of the World

This is one of the best films I have ever seen and has made me definitely want to visit Antarctica before I either die or it becomes 'westernised'. The view I have of Antarctica is one of never-ending snow and ice with a vast biodiversity under the ice in the ocean. Most of the continent is still like that apart from McMurdo which in the Spring/Summer becomes a normal functioning town with a population of about 1000, that kind of disappointed me but I suppose there needs to be a central hub to act as a base.

What I dislike about McMurdo is easily made up for with its inhabitants. They range from the adventurous to the pure weird. One former philosopher states that he thinks all the people who are a bit strange and like to explore end up in Antarctica, a theory later backed up by a linguist who describes that "all people who aren't tied down fall to the bottom", in this case Antarctica. If you're thinking these people are a bit odd then they're nothing compared to a plumber who believes that he's descended from the Aztec royal family or the Bus driver (former Banker) who once got chased by the Mayans because they thought he was a child catcher. Although strange you get the sense that these people live here because they really love it, the linguist also raises a very thoughtful point. We try to solve all kinds of biodiversity needs/climate change/stop deforestation etc. yet in 2005 it was reported that we were losing a language at the rate of one a fortnight. Should we focus on protecting our cultural heritage as much as the environment?

What I find remarkable about Antarctica is how people describe it as an incredibly peaceful place and the next minute they're dynamiting the ice to create a dive hole. I don't think it's a problem, just a bit strange. The scientist explains that some of the creatures in the deep seem like they're out of a sci-fi film and once the camera descends into the waters it's easy to tell why. In the darkness of the ocean looks mean nothing, it doesn't matter if you have rainbow scales what you actually need are some sharp spines. The ecosystem here is one of the most violent and extraordinary on the planet. The divers are looking for are the most primitive forms of life, trying to understand how life could have formed in the first place. The cameraman captures the moment when they state they've potentially found a new species, something which they claim to be remarkable. The head scientist continues eating his cereal.

One of my favourite moments in the film is when they visit a scientist who has worked in isolation with penguins for so long that he doesn't really enjoy talking to humans anymore. You can tell that Herzog has to try and keep a dying conversation going. The extent can be seen by the fact that Herzog has to ask if there are gay penguins and if they can go insane. It's the most surreal conversation in the film without a doubt.



The film also visits Mt Erebus which allowed me to construct a new view of volcanologists. They're quite strange but then again so is everyone on Antarctica... Volcanologists visit Erebus as it's easier/safer to visit than Congo and Kenya which are the only other places where volcanoes with exposed inner magma are found. As you'd expect the volcanologists are dressed up in thick layers of thermal equipment apart from Professor Clive Oppenheimer from Cambridge who's wearing... tweed.

I can't recommend this film enough. It's unbelievable, I loved it and think I'll probably watch it again at some point. Werner Herzog's gruff German accent is perfect for the documentary which has been filmed so brilliantly. It's definitely up there with my favourite films.