I’ll be honest. It’s hard not to go through yet another mid-life crisis while watching filmmaker Kevin Schreck’s documentary, Antarctic Voyage, and not consider leaving life behind and living and studying life at the southernmost point in the world.
Dr. Samantha Monier is a field biologist heading to Antarctica, one of Earth’s most remote and untouched places. She’s wrapping up her Ph.D. studies and joins a team of researchers on a ship called the Laurence M. Gould to explore South Georgia, an island famous for its incredible wildlife. The journey is tough, with rough seas and freezing conditions. Still, the team is excited to study the undisturbed home of some incredible creatures, including the massive albatross.
As they explore, the team witnesses incredible displays of nature. Fur seals, penguins, and even a family of humpback whales arrive together in a moment that is both symphonic and chaotic, driven by the search for food in the icy waters.. The scientists are there to study everything from tiny krill to giant whales, trying to understand how all these creatures exist in such a harsh environment. Along the way, they can’t ignore the signs of climate change, like melting icebergs and the effects of the whaling industry decades ago.
Despite the serious work, the crew makes time for fun, like creating their Christmas celebration on the ship. Through Dr. Monier’s eyes, Antarctic Voyage shows us how this adventure isn’t just about science — it’s also about thinking deeply about our world and the impact humans have on it, both good and bad.
“…trying to understand how all these creatures exist in such a harsh environment.”
First, Antarctic Voyage is visually stunning. Kevin Schreck and his crew capture Antarctica’s beauty in a way that only classical music could be its natural soundtrack. Known mostly for documentaries about art and artists, Schreck brings this sentiment to nature. We not only get the majesty of the South Georgia mountain island and cold, harsh seas, but the way Schreck captures the indigenous wildlife resting, hunting, and eating is itself a work of art.
Schreck also takes us into life at sea. Through the film’s main subject and narrator, Dr. Samantha Monier, we see life on the Laurence M. Gould through the eyes of Ph.D. student Dr. Samantha Monier. Through her, we understand why scientists dedicate themselves to the pursuit of understanding nature and the world around us. Though she’s on the ship for a few weeks, Monier also gives us a glimpse into the lives of scientists who have dedicated their lives to living and studying in one of the world’s coldest regions.
Antarctic Voyage is an incredible journey into the cold climes of South Georgia and the adventures of Dr. Samantha Monier. Kevin Schreck’s filmmaking brilliantly captures both the rugged life on a research ship and the incredible beauty of the Antarctic, making this documentary as thrilling as it is visually striking.
"…as thrilling as it is visually striking."
