Encounters at the End of the World

Whenever I pick up a film that is labelled as a documentary, I inwardly cringe because I worry that I’ll waste my rental money on a film that I won’t be able to watch for more than maybe ten minutes. Documentary just spells “boring” to me, but it’s good to remember that doesn’t always have to be the case. Some documentary films can be even better than the greatest fictional thriller.

Such is the case with Encounters at the End of the World. The film has elements of surprise, some humour, and quite of bit of amazing photography and stunning visuals. This film, by celebrated documentary film producer, Werner Herzog, is what amounts to as an escorted tour to the frigid South Pole. It’s a wild ride that takes the viewer to one of the most desolate places on Earth, the National Science Foundation’s headquarters on remote Ross Island. It also takes the viewer to some places which would be essentially inaccessible to ordinary man, such as some of the most remote and dangerous terrain deep in Antarctica. You can go on an escorted tour there. You can even take an “expedition” type cruise there onboard an icebreaker – but still you won’t get to most of these places. They are just too dangerous and too remove. Yet, Herzog takes us there and his ability with the camera lets us get a first-hand view of all the frozen tundra has to offer.

The film also highlights some of this isolated land’s animal population, and it provides a unique glimpse into what life is like for the scientists who make this region their home for part of the year. I enjoyed this film and would heartily recommend it, despite it’s being labelled as a “documentary.”