Encounters at the End of the World

Plot synopsis:
Herzog and cinematographer Peter Zeitlinger go to Antarctica to meet people who live and work there and to capture footage of the continent's unique locations. Herzog's voiceover narration explains that his film will not be a typical Antarctica film about "fluffy penguins" but will explore the dreams of the people and the landscape. They begin at McMurdo Station and interview some maintenance and support workers as well as iceberg geologist Douglas MacAyeal. They travel next to a nearby seal camp supervised by zoologist Olav Oftedal. Next they join the film's composer/producer, research diver Henry Kaiser, at his diving camp and interview cell biologist Samuel Bowser and zoologist Jan Pawlowski. Kaiser and Bowser stage a rooftop guitar concert.
Herzog and Zeitlinger return to McMurdo for some more interviews and visit the preserved original base of Ernest Shackleton. After some brief footage at the South Pole, Herzog interviews penguin scientist David Ainley. This footage includes a shot of a penguin marching in the wrong direction, walking to a certain death in the barren interior of the continent.
Herzog and Zeitlinger next visit Mount Erebus and interview volcanologists. A strange sequence follows which was shot in tunnels deep below South Pole station carved from snow and ice. Various trinkets and mementos, including a can of Russian caviar and a whole frozen sturgeon, are placed in carved-out shelves in the ice walls and preserved by the extremely cold and dry air. On the slope of the volcano, Herzog and Zeitlinger explore ice caves formed by fumaroles.
The film next visits the launch of a giant helium balloon used in a neutrino detection project (ANITA) and features an interview with physicist Peter Gorham. It concludes with some philosophical words from a maintenance worker and more footage from the fumarole ice caves and Kaiser's dives.

Tags: philosophical

Review:
From this he was compelled to visit the continent and shoot some footage of his own, which became Encounters at the End of the World.The film perfectly balances both gorgeous footage of the continent as well as fascinating interviews and anecdotes of the many researchers and workers of the McMurdo research station.
It is a study of both Nature and Man: by turns breathtaking in its landscape (especially the underwater photography), at other times funny and serious, as Herzog interviews the motley crew of individuals who call Antarctica home for the greater part of the year.
Werner Herzog has gone there to make a film, catching the opportunity to capture some of it's beauty in a way rarely seen on film, and also to share some of his thoughts about nature and humanity.
In and around the large McMurdo Research Station he circulates the various people working there, joins them on their fieldwork and interviews them, all resulting in a blend of beautiful images, personal micro-stories, funny sidetracks, well paced informative moments and an often fascinating look at nature's inexplicable mystery, humanity's as well as Mother Earth's.This is a large canvas, perhaps slightly difficult to put in proper words.
The form of the film gradually evolves, first small steps with the reality of the small, modern society that has been developed, the paradox of a restaurant with a beloved ice-cream machine (needless to point out further, and despised by Herzog), and with a scene of people having an unusual way of training, in case they would get lost in a blizzard.
It may be penguins, but it's hauntingly beautiful nonetheless.Throughout the movie, Herzog keeps expanding his view on nature and humanity until we reach the end, and the topic we've all been waiting for.
No, it seems like Herzog quietly accepts that mankind might be headed for doom - it's as natural as the deranged penguins leaving it's flock to never return - and instead asks what alien lifeforms might think of our remains if they would land to explore in thousands of years.
'Encounters at the End of the World' is an engrossing, fascinating exploration of what it takes to exist in one of the world's most unforgiving landscapes.Almost a companion piece to Herzog's earlier poem-like Fata Morgana, the film brings us into a world hidden to almost all but a very chosen few.There are incredible exchanges between Herzog and his human subjects, who are all researchers studying various aspects of the Antarctic eco-sphere.
It's pointed out by one of Werner Herzog's dreamers - a philosopher and part time forklift driver - that he found on his encounters at the end of the world.Herzog begins his new documentary warning us that this will not be another film about fluffy penguins; his questions about nature are far different.
Herzog, always fascinated with the oddity and great beauty of the natural world, fills his documentary with stunning images and sequences.
Encounters is an almost straight forward account of Werner Herzog going to Antarctica.Invited to go by one of the scientific organizations he agreed to go because he was fascinated by life under the sea ice (see his Wild Blue Yonder which used footage from under the ice to represent an alien world) and wanted to have a chance to film life there.
Encounters at the End of the World is a quirky and interesting film, definitely a departure from your average dry science documentary or eye-candy nature film, though it has elements of both.It focuses predominantly on the odd collection of people drawn to live in an Antarctic research station, and to a slightly lesser degree on the oddness of the region itself, and the bizarre bits of scientific trivia that can be found there.
The other was that in some cases he seemed to be going out of his way to depict the people he interviewed in embarrassing ways, with things like leaving the camera lingering on them after the interview appeared to be finished, as they stood nervously, apparently trying to figure out if it was over or not.But on the whole I would recommend it -- the flaws are offset by some impressive visuals (especially the underwater footage), dry humour, interesting ideas to ponder, and a really great soundtrack by Henry Kaiser and David Lindley, which work very well with the oddness of the content..
Werner Herzog makes Anartica, strange, magical, hypnotic, and relevant, mostly without the use of penguins(who are apparently at turns insane and suicidal prostitutes and swingers).Some of the images were very familiar to his earlier "Wild Blue Yonder", but the narrative, holds together much stronger here.Eccentric scientists, and travelers from all over the world, discussing the foundations of evolution, the invisible energies that permeate the cosmos, the constant shift of water and energy just beneath the surface of the ice, they also play guitar and wander around with boxes on their heads.It's not so much a documentary about "Antartica", the geographical location, but about Antartica as an idea, an image, the people who go there, and why, a little of everything or anything that's is interesting.
Though Herzog in voice over gives us a few pet peeves, and doesn't mind talking about not liking a person or place, just as much as finding one interesting, it can get a bit distracting, even annoying...but mostly it's kinda funny, and can break up some of the slower moments.My favorite Herzog quote is "Documentaries are as close to truth as glaciers are to farting", here, staged as it may or may not be, you can still smell the ice, and it's stinks brilliantly..
I thought that "Encounters at the End of the World" was a very good look at several different people's lives who live in Antarctica.
This film is mainly about the story of people who live in Antartica, a documentary about their own personal experience of leaving their home and human civilization behind, and sought the new life of adventure and traveling.
Werner Herzog's 2008 documentary finds him in Antarctica where he meets the people who call the frozen continent their home.
Herzog also tires to get inside the mind of a suicidal penguin in a very funny but odd moving encounter.Towards the end of the film, Herzog focuses on the future of Antarctica and the future of us as a species; hypothesizing that when we are gone a race of alien archeologists will study our ruined cities and try to understand why we were in the Antarctic.
"Encounters at the End of the World" is the latest in a long line of outstanding documentaries by German director Werner Herzog, a filmmaker who knows how to take the raw material of nature and turn it into art.
The prosaic also finds voice in the daily routines of the men and women who live and work there, as they spend their off-hours eating in cafeterias, going to bars, playing guitar, watching old science fiction movies on T.V. In fact, Herzog seems almost more interested in trying to figure out what makes these particular individuals "tick" than in recording the wonders of the world around him.
Finally, we listen to the otherworldly sound of seals and seal lions as they swim and go about their lives under the ice.And over all this lies Herzog's narration, which at times borders on the portentous, as he sternly reminds us that our reign as a species on this planet may soon be coming to an end.Although there are countless moments of awe-inspiring wonder in the film, it is the constant juxtaposition between the ethereal and the mundane that gives "Encounters at the End of the World" its own distinctive raison d'etre..
We meet so many fascinating people that this story will burn indelibly in our mind as a masterpiece.Herzog mixes history, stunning visuals, incredible music, science, natural phenomena at -2 Celsius, people, and humor to make a film that will be hard to beat as the best of the year.It is a world that may reveal the secrets of our origins, and will likely reveal our eventual demise.And, despite Herzog's claim that he did not want to make another film about penguins, he managed to devote some time to them and give us more than we have seen before.Brilliance is too small a word for this film..
Encounters at the End of the World (2007) **** (out of 4) Herzog's latest documentary takes us to Antarctica where we get to see and experience what the scientist and researchers there are like.
By: Savannah Bristow 06.02.2016 Film Review of Encounters at the End of the World, 2007, 99 min 5 StarsThe duality and mystery of the great white desert known as Antarctica is of interest to many, but Werner Herzog took his curiosity to the next level.
These questions are all addressed in Herzog's film, Encounters at the End of the World." The film begins with Herzog's journey to McMurdo Station, home to the National Science Foundation and some 1000 researchers and other inhabitants.
Werner Herzog presents his documentary, Encounters at the End of the World, as a complex and intricate study of the mysterious continent known as Antarctica.
With ENCOUNTERS AT THE END OF THE WORLD, Werner Herzog has once again delivered a compelling nature documentary, this one exploring life and death in Antarctica.
As Herzog says at the very beginning of the film, "Encounters at the end of the world" is not another movie about penguins.
Rather, it is a visually stunning story about weird and wonderful people living at the end of the world (i.e. at the Antarctica's McMurdo station), as well as about humankind's relationship to the nature.
My husband and I immediately got sucked into the life of the biggest permanent US settlement on the South Pole, the peculiarities of its inhabitants, and the magic of the Antarctic ice, its breathtaking landscapes and soundscapes.The best thing about the movie is Herzog's apparent affection towards people who dedicated their lives to adventure, dreams, and pursuit of knowledge regardless of personal comfort.
Herzog represented people from McMurdo with warmth and generosity, skillfully illuminating their hidden depths and lovable weirdness in just a few minutes.Another great thing is that the muddy streets of McMurdo, caterpillars, and lonesome outposts create the impression of how life in the Wild West could have looked like – as well as how a future human settlement on Moon may be organized.Additionally, Herzog's voice, in English with a distinct German accent, is pure joy to listen to.After seeing the film, you will probably want to visit the Antarctica (perhaps the only place on Earth where philosophers ride forklifts with pleasure), or at least to go and watch the film again..
At this point it's really just amusing that either Herzog's fictional feature or documentaries haven't been awarded with an Oscar since in my opinion all of his documentaries are Oscar worthy.Encounters at the End of the World is the only Herzog documentary to even be nominated.The movie is essentially a look into Antarctica stringed together with a bunch of interviews of the various people Herzog meets on his journey.
All of them have something truly interesting to say and Herzog himself provides once again his narration for the documentary.Encounters at the End of the World has a scene which is perhaps the most powerful image I've ever seen on film.
Werner Herzog directs and narrates this fascinating look at Antarctica, taking a camera to places that few people have ever seen.
Herzog has managed to make an intelligent--yes that is the right word survey of the human endeavor in Antarctica.It is foremost a movie about people most of them are interesting especially the low key ones like the philosopher.
Unfortunately places like Antarctica attract and bring out that crowd of people--ones seeking some kind of identity through the "zaniness" of their experiences including of course being in Antarctica.Herzog subtly cuts them off at the knees when deserved such as saying we were glad to get out of McMurdo after an interview with someone claiming how important an ice cream machine was.Watch it you will like it..
Instead we have a film that is as interested in the people who have chosen to live in this place, as much as the beauties of its natural landscape.
We see underwater sequences of life below the ice, a large volcano in the middle of the continent and a penguin wandering insanely in the direction of the distant mountains to its doom, like a crazed hero in a Herzog movie such as Aguirre.
And only an eccentric such as Herzog would ever ask a penguin expert if there were instances of the birds going insane or practising homosexuality.The film is divided in its view of man's existence in Antarctica and exploration in general.
Veteran (IMDB credits him as director on 56 movies) filmmaker Werner Herzog travels to Antarctica where he finds weird wildlife and even weirder human life eking out an existence in the planet's least inviting environment.
An interview with a linguist on a continent with no language, a penguin walking in the opposite direction of the ocean to most likely die—there's something extraordinary about this film.Many people criticize Herzog for his cynical views on human civilization.
Herzog is exploring the only continent on which there are no permanent human residents, and his alternative way of looking at things allows the audience to experience Antarctic nature from a different perspective.
So many people don't know anything about this seemingly different world (except for that's where penguins live), and Herzog does a great job of exploring the highlights of what Antarctica has to offer..
It took me some time to realise that I couldn't understand either.In Encounters, which makes Herzog the most accomplished director in the history of cinema geographically (he has filmed at least one film in each of the seven continents), he travels to Antarctica to meet men and women from various walks of life who try to make sense of the steadily melting ice-land.He disclaims at the outset any desire to film penguins.
And so, famed filmmaker Werner Herzog shares his visit to Antarctica, a fascinating world of natural beauty and scientific efforts.The main human outpost is McMurdo Station, where the film basically begins.
Trust Werner Herzog to come up with an engaging documentary such as this, where he was on the invite of the National Science Foundation to visit the community of scientists at McMurdo Station over at the Antarctica, and of course, couldn't pass up not documenting his exploration of the ice continent, which was showcased by The Discovery Channel.
While the scientists are there for research to make the world a better place, and to understand this last frontier on the globe, you can't help but notice the construction landscape the colony has created, as if it is ingrained in man to ravage the land he resides in, and alter Nature for the provision of some ridiculous creature comforts.I suppose one still cannot get away from not covering something about the penguins when in the Antarctica.
Herzog goes one step further to cover the different camps at the continent, for the audience to grasp the extent of scientific research and exploration, at the same time eliciting candid views about life in isolation, and listen in to sights and sounds unheard of, with every interview subject each possessing very unique and interesting stories to tell.
Werner Herzog travels to Antarctica to film a colony of scientists going about their work with seals, penguins, volcanoes and the breathtaking sea life of this lesser known part of the world.This film is not the warning about global warming that you might expect, though the topic of global warming and man's future on this planet does come up.
Herzog traveled to this unpopulated part of the world where people drift when they want to get away from civilization, but the film seems more interested in these recluses than it does the environment to which they devote their time.
Pretty different to the 'save the world' and 'save nature' campaigns you hear about more often.The narration, the underwater scenes, and two or three brilliant moments of film-making that are uniquely Herzog elevate this beyond the competent entertainment that most documentaries of this general sort are, and make it a very good film.
This is a very good documentary by the much loved German (Bavarian) director Werner Herzog.He travels to the U.S. McMurtro (?) base in the Antarctic because he wants to see the landscapes of Antarctica and also visit the wildlife of the area and see what makes the characters tick who actually choose to live there.The views are breathtakingly beautiful in many cases and these characters are interesting.Werner Herzog is a very good director and with this movie he became the first director to direct features on all seven continents..
The latest Werner Herzog documentary, dedicated to Roger Ebert, Encounters at the End of the World, is a study of man and his interaction with nature in the ice-laden rivers, mountains, and shores of Antarctica.
Like some of his other works, it is filled with gorgeous cinematography, exquisite music, and Herzog's unique commentary spoken in a somber, musical voice that has a distinct poetic quality that strives for profundity.Herzog was paid by the Discovery Channel and the National Science Foundation to travel to McMurdo Station in Antarctica to gain some insight into the mysteries of the land at the bottom of the world, promising only that he would not come up with another film about penguins.
Connected to each other, they search blindly for the trainer who is actually only fifty feet away, perhaps an inadvertent metaphor for humans trying to connect with God. Like all of Herzog's films, there is an upside and perhaps the main reason to see the movie are entrancing underwater ballet sequences of the divers who risk their life every time they plunge in to the freezing waters, shots of the beautiful caves carved in the South Pole, and satellite images of sea ice compressed into an animated montage.