As a nature doc alone, Encounters at the End of the World would stand as one of the year's best. Herzog is curious what sort of people they are and finds them to be a rather philosophical lot. Veteran director Werner Herzog brings an outsider s perspective to … 'Werner Herzog' takes his camera to Antarctica where we meet the odd men and women who have dedicated their lives to furthering the cause of science in treacherous conditions. Historian Elizabeth A. Fenn won the Pulitzer Prize in History for her 2014 book, Encounters at the Heart of the World: A History of the Mandan People. Encounters at the End of the World, a documentary film by Werner Herzog, recounts his experiences during his visit to Antarctica. The long confines of the Film Forum in New York really allows for the magic of a sound scape.7.5 out of 10. Volcanologists offer advice on what to do when a volcano erupts. 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. Kaiser and Bowser stage a rooftop guitar concert. Use the HTML below. An exploration of active volcanoes around the world. The film studies people and places in Antarctica. ENCOUNTERS AT THE END OF THE WORLD . [4] Within two years, Herzog had released The Wild Blue Yonder, which made prominent use of Kaiser's footage. This film shows the disaster of the Kuwaitian oil fields in flames, with few interviews and no explanatory narration. Acclaimed film director Werner Herzog travels to Antarctica to uncover the raw beauty and humanity on this fascinating continent. Werner Herzog gains exclusive access to film inside the Chauvet caves of Southern France and captures the oldest known pictorial creations of humanity. Newhouse School of Public Communications, Minneapolis-St. Paul International Film Festival, Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature. The two went to Antarctica without any opportunity to plan filming locations or interview subjects, and had only seven weeks to conceive and shoot their footage. View production, box office, & company info, 'Werner Herzog' takes his camera to Antarctica where we meet the odd men and women who have dedicated their lives to furthering the cause of science in treacherous conditions. Encounters At the End of the World DOCUMENTARY Werner Herzog’s (“Grizzly Man,” “Rescue Dawn”) Encounters At The End Of The World is a visually stunning exploration to the Antarctica community of McMurdo Station, the hub of the U.S. Antarctic program, population 1100. A scientist studies neutrinos, which are everywhere, yet elusive; he likens them to spirits. It will enlighten and inspire you- much more than this review will. There is a wonderful final quote by Alan Watts, but the film ultimately feels like a philosophical travelogue about a summer vacation instead of something grander then what I saw on my vacation. Kaiser was working on music for Herzog's Grizzly Man and was showing the footage to a friend when Herzog noticed it. It concludes with some philosophical words from a maintenance worker and more footage from the fumarole ice caves and Kaiser's dives. Airship engineer Dr. Graham Dorrington embarks on a trip to the giant Kaieteur ... See full summary ». This being Herzog, however, Encounters at the End of the World isn’t your average Antarctic documentary. [3], The film is dedicated to American critic Roger Ebert. (209) IMDb 7.7 1h 40min 2007 X-Ray G. Cult documentarian Werner Herzog explores the untouched, vast, and brutal landscapes of Antarctica, as well as the people who inhabit its terrain, in this Academy Award-nominated feature. In the 1950s, an adolescent Werner Herzog was transfixed by a film performance of the young Klaus Kinski. The film appeared on several critics' top ten lists of the best films of 2008,[13] including the following: Encounters at the End of the World won the award for Best Documentary at the Edinburgh International Film Festival and Special Prize at Planet Doc Review Festival in Warsaw (both in 2008). This nonfiction book weaves together Fenn’s research into fragmented archives and primary sources; recent archeological discoveries; information gleaned by anthropologists, geologists, climatologists, epidemiologists, and nutritional scientists; evidence … The film is a typically offbeat travelogue of his visit to Antarctica, a place which fascinates him not only because of its natural phenomena (the active volcano Mount Erebus, the strange world beneath the ice) but also because of its unusual collection of … On the slope of the volcano, Herzog and Zeitlinger explore ice caves formed by fumaroles. 12 of 17 people found this review helpful. A documentary depicting the life and work of the trappers of Bakhtia, a village in the heart of the Siberian Taiga, where daily life has changed little in over a century. Herzog and Zeitlinger return to McMurdo for some more interviews and visit the preserved original base of Ernest Shackleton. Herzog did not go to the end of the world to watch birds sail Volcanologists offer advice on what to do when a volcano erupts. Encounters at the End of the World is a 2007 American documentary film by Werner Herzog. But it's still a fascinating look at the nature of the scientific exploration going on in one of the world… The second best release of the week was Encounters at the End of the World as the documentary earned $17,730 in its lone theater. Encounters at the End of the World is a documentary Werner Herzog made about Antarctica. A pipefitter shows us the anomaly in his hands that he says are a sign he descended from Atzec royalty. While the Antarctic scenes from The Wild Blue Yonder were shot by DP Henry Kaiser, this time the director has made his own way to the ‘End of the World’, eager to explore the continent for himself. Title: Its an amusing portrait of people I think many of us would like to be.We also get a portrait of what life is like there. Its strangely modern and looks to be almost anywhere people mine. The main US base is more like a mining colony anywhere on the fringes of civilization then what you think of when you think Antarctica. Was this review helpful to you? This FAQ is empty. A survival guide teaches his students to survive white-out conditions by wearing cartoon-face buckets over their heads. Accompanied by cinematographer Peter Zeitlinger, they meet the people who live and work … G: Mature themes. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University, and another recipient of the Antarctic Artists and Writers grant. [5] The entire film crew consisted of Herzog, who recorded all production sound, and cinematographer Peter Zeitlinger. Revolver Entertainment released the film theatrically in the UK from 24 April 2009.[10]. It was released in North America on June 11, 2008, and distributed by THINKFilm. Encounters at the End of the World Soundtrack (2008) The subject isn’t so much the continent, however; the film is about the people. The film was shot in Antarctica as part of the National Science Foundation's Antarctic Artists and Writers Program. The film was shown on 28 March 2008, Hong Kong Cultural Centre, in the 2008 Hong Kong International Film Festival; and on April 30 at the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Film Festival. Herzog did not go to the end of the world to watch birds sail across An alien narrates the story of his dying planet, his and his people's visits to Earth and Earth's man-made demise, while human astronauts attempt to find an alternate planet for surviving humans to live on. [3], The sound recordings of the seals were produced by Douglas Quin, a sound expert and professor at the S.I. These portraits of the land and seascapes are stunning. Herzog, Kaiser, Zeitlinger, DVD audio commentary for, "Slide Guitar & Exorcism @ The South Pole", featurette on DVD release of, S.I. This allowed them to film the "seal-bagging" footage, which is not typically deemed suitable for public release. The film received predominantly positive reviews from critics. Of the eternal sun (which annoys Herzog)Of the drabness of the living quarters (motel like)mixed with individual expression. A scientist studies neutrinos, which are everywhere, yet elusive; he likens them to spirits. Encounters at the End of the World Werner Herzog confirms his standing as poet laureate of men in extreme situations with Encounters at the End of the World. Years later, they would share an apartment where, in an unabated, forty-eight-hour ... See full summary ». Read the title of "Encounters at the End of the World" carefully, for it has two meanings. and we see the landscape both above and below the ice on land and in the sea. An underwater diver shows his colleagues DVDs of apocalyptic sci-fi films like, From The Wild Sea - Mateusz Tarwacki - 16608, Here’s Why ‘Fireball’ Director Werner Herzog’s Flipped for ’90s Disaster Movie ‘Deep Impact’, ‘Fireball’: Werner Herzog and Clive Oppenheimer Make a Dynamic Doc Duo, Happy Earth Day, Awe Inspiring Nature Documentaries. [6], Filming in Antarctica is usually overseen by the National Science Foundation's media office, which approves and supervises all film productions. Encounters at the End of the World, Herzog’s latest documentary, proves that at the age of 65 he is still undaunted by the world’s least hospitable places. As of October 20, 2020, the review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes reported that 94% of critics gave the film positive reviews, based on 111 reviews, and an average rating of 7.64/10 — with the consensus that the film "offers a poignant study of the human psyche amid haunting landscapes. Advertisement. Few filmmakers make the end of days seem as hauntingly beautiful as Werner Herzog does, or as inexorable. Bu t since Herzog is one of the greatest of documentary filmmakers, one expects that this film will not just be a travelogue or an academic description of the earth’s southernmost continent (although there is some of that). They begin at McMurdo Station and interview some maintenance and support workers as well as iceberg geologist Douglas MacAyeal. Dengler also revisits the sites of his capture and eventual escape from the hands of the Viet Cong, recreating many events for the camera. Hell itself is presented in such beautiful sights and music that one has to be fascinated by it. Its magical and creates sequences that you hate to see end.If there is any flaw is that the film kind of just ends. Encounters at the End of the World is about the intricacies - and insanities - of life on Antarctica. Animal researchers milk mother seals as part of their study. After some brief footage at the South Pole, Herzog interviews penguin scientist David Ainley. Its really beautiful at times. Encounters at the End of the World is a 2007 American documentary film by Werner Herzog. To better appreciate "Encounters at the End of the World," it's best to view it not as a scientific documentary, but as a home movie from screendom's crankiest old bastard. They travel next to a nearby seal camp supervised by zoologist Olav Oftedal. A scientist studies neutrinos, which are everywhere, yet elusive; he likens them to spirits. Wheel of Time is Werner Herzog's photographed look at the largest Buddhist ritual in Bodh Gaya, India. His visit was spurred on by the footage taken by one of the under-ice divers, a friend of his. And even though this is a Discovery Channel film, I'm glad I saw it where I did because there is something about the end credits with the seal songs echoing all thorough the theater from front to back that you can't get at home. As he journeys to the South Pole, which is as far as you can get from everywhere, Werner Herzog also journeys to the prospect of man's oblivion. Synopsis. I'm sure had it not been Werner Herzog behind the camera I would not have been disappointed.Still you must see the film on a big screen if you can. 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. About the daring adventure of exploring rain forest canopy with a novel flying device-the Jungle Airship. A researcher's nighttime performance art includes contorting her body into a luggage bag. Encounters at the End of the World. 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. However, the director has worked and re-worked a series of themes, motifs and even specific lines throughout his career, and when these crop up in multiple films, the attentive Herzog-o-phile's ears prick up. Encounters at the End of the World. Even more impressive is the fact that the film was a Wednesday release that earned nearly $26,000 in total -- had it opened on Friday it might has topped the charts. "[11] Metacritic reported the film had an average score of 80 out of 100, based on 25 reviews. A former Colorado banker drives what he has christened Ivan the Terra Bus. A devastating and heart-rending take on grizzly bear activists Timothy Treadwell and Amie Huguenard, who were killed in October of 2003 while living among grizzly bears in Alaska. (2007). Storyline. You must be a registered user to use the IMDb rating plugin. Get a sneak peek of the new version of this page. Conversations with death row inmate Michael Perry and those affected by his crime serve as an examination of why people - and the state - kill. Synopsis: 'Werner Herzog' takes his camera to Antarctica where we meet the odd men and women who have dedicated their lives to furthering the cause of science in treacherous conditions. He opens the film with the images of what appears to be hauntingly blue skies and bubbly white clouds, but its not skies nor clouds, but the clear waters and hulking ice. Encounters at the End of the World Werner Herzog looks for examples of human madness everywhere, even on the sparsely populated continent of Antarctica. Environment, Society / One Comment Werner Herzog is a master filmmaker. Want to share IMDb's rating on your own site? As one guy says "Where else do you find guys with Phds doing the dishes, or linguists on the one place on earth where there is no native language." 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. Instead he portrays the seventh continent as some mystical, alien landscape of hypnotic beauty and surreal cham, often letting long takes of undersea photography hypnotise us. Unrated: Nudity, mature themes. [7], The film showed at the 2007 Telluride Film Festival,[8] and had its official premiere[9] one week later on September 10 at the Toronto International Film Festival. (1954). 3 stars. A pipefitter shows us the anomaly in his hands that he says are a sign he descended from Atzec royalty. A researcher's nighttime performance art includes contorting her body into a luggage bag. In this documentary, this professional madman and restlessly curious filmmaker travels to the blinding white of the Antarctic, where he meets melancholic scientists, brooding journeymen and various poets of the soul, who ensconced in the American headquarters, McMurdo Station. [1] It also showed in 2008 at the International Documentary Festival in Amsterdam; the Edinburgh International Film Festival; the Cambridge Film Festival and the Melbourne International Film Festival. Add the first question. hallways of snow, erupting volcanoes, and an otherworldly cathedral of ice, all of Herzog’s Encounters at the End of the World lead to philosophical musings about life, about human behavior, and more specifically, about the role and place of human beings in the universe. Here are four documentaries from 2020 with powerful and unique takes on unraveling true crimes. A survival guide teaches his students to survive white-out conditions by wearing cartoon-face buckets over their heads. German-American Dieter Dengler discusses his service as a U.S. naval pilot in the Vietnam War. https://youtu.be/MImYM87jOtU. "A letter to Werner Herzog: In praise of rapturous truth | Interviews | Roger Ebert", "Encounters at the End of the World Movie Reviews, Pictures - Rotten Tomatoes", "Encounters at the End of the World (2008): Reviews", "Metacritic: 2008 Film Critic Top Ten Lists", The Transformation of the World into Music, Lo and Behold, Reveries of the Connected World, The Unprecedented Defence of the Fortress Deutschkreuz, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Encounters_at_the_End_of_the_World&oldid=1009761141, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 2 March 2021, at 04:48. It was released in North America on June 11, 2008, and distributed by THINKFilm.[2]. Few directors could get away with making a film like Encounters at the End of the World, and Werner Herzog is one of them.The documentary is … Herzog's ability to mix music and image creates some hypnotic passages that in part reminded me Koyaanisqatsi or Luc Besson's Atlantis. Stretching back decades, genres, languages, styles and scope, he continues to be a pioneering creative force. In fact, what likely drew him to the location of his latest documentary was the promise of eccentric residents eager to mug for his camera. Everything you need to know about Encounters at the End of the World. 'Werner Herzog' takes his camera to Antarctica where we meet the odd men and women who have dedicated their lives to furthering the cause of science in treacherous conditions. They are what you would consider explorers of the 18th or 19th century looking for something greater then themselves. At Film Forum (1:39). The film studies people and places in Antarctica. Keep track of everything you watch; tell your friends. "Werner Herzog: "Tell me about the iceberg, tell me about your dreams. Encounters at the End of the World Acclaimed film director Werner Herzog travels to Antarctica to uncover the raw beauty and humanity on this fascinating continent. Encounters at the End of the World is one of the most interesting nature documentaries I ve seen. Herzog's previous explorations of the natural world and human behavior have involved big questions and big themes; Encounters at the End of the World is a little more calm and introspective. A unique sequence follows which was shot in tunnels deep below South Pole station carved from snow and ice. As a way of getting that discussion started, I want to use this space here to ask you to pick a scene from the film to talk about (you don’t need to wait for us to finish the film on Wednesday if you want to get started early on this). Encounters at the End of the World. [12] On January 22, 2009, it was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature. J. Spurlin, 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. 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. Chronicle of Werner Herzog's trip to Antarctica. An underwater diver shows his colleagues DVDs of apocalyptic sci-fi films like Them! While it certainly touches on science, the focus is on who these people are that come all the way to Antarctica. Released by Fractal Music in 2007 containing music from Encounters at the End of the World (2008). Encounters at the End of the World Reviewed by Christopher Long. Read our editors' picks for the movies and shows we're watching in March, including "The Falcon and the Winter Soldier," Boss Level, and Zack Snyder's Justice League. For much of this week, we’ll be viewing and discussing the film Encounters at the End of the World. Herzog was drawn to Antarctica after viewing underwater footage filmed by Henry Kaiser. 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. Herzog often met his interview subjects only minutes before he began shooting them. Werner Herzog's exploration of the Internet and the connected world. We see the survival training, the various scientific studies going on (including one about penguins which cause Herzog to ponder if they go mad). HD, 99 min. Encounters at the End of the World. Herzog and Zeitlinger next visit Mount Erebus and interview volcanologists. But clearly, Herzog wasn’t satisfied. But Encounters At The End Of The World is diffuse by nature, bouncing around aimlessly rather than focusing on the strong central subjects that drove superior films like Grizzly Man and Little Dieter Needs To Fly. In Encounters at the End of the World Antarctica is explored through the eyes of a man determined to not make yet another film about fluffy penguins. He also warned them it would not result in film about fluffy penguins.This is not Shackleton's Antarctica. Encounters at the End of the World soundtrack from 2008, composed by Henry Kaiser, David Lindley. [3] Kaiser had been to Antarctica on scientific diving expeditions, as well as with the National Science Foundation's Antarctic Artists and Writers Program for his "Slide Guitar Around the World" project. Written by hallways of snow, erupting volcanoes, and an other-worldly ceiling of ice, all of Herzog’s Encounters at the End of the World lead to philosophical musings about life, about human behavior, and more specifically, about the role and place of human beings in the universe. Part travelogue, part Antarctic documentary, Encounters follows the director as he learns about the South Pole, its scientist residents, animal life and the world above-and below-the ice. In this visually stunning exploration, Herzog travels to the Antarctic community of McMurdo Station, headquarters of the National Science Foundation and home to eleven hundred people during the austral summer (Oct-Feb). A scientist studies neutrinos, which are everywhere, yet elusive; he likens them to spirits. Animal researchers milk mother seals as part of their study. Because of Herzog's grant from the Artists and Writers Program, he was allowed to film with no minders or oversight from the NSF. A former Colorado banker drives what he has christened Ivan the Terra Bus. Indeed there is an odd shot of the modern camp with Scott's hut in the distance that signals how times have changed.Herzog's film is really about some of the wayward travelers who have reached the frontier. United States: Discovery Films, 2007.