Encounters at the End of the World (2007)

User Rating:

7.8/10   

Director:

Werner Herzog

Writer:

Werner Herzog (written by)

Release Date:

17 October 2008 (Spain)

Genre:

Documentary

Plot:

Filmmaker Werner Herzog travels to Antarctica to capture its landscape's rarely seen beauty on film.

Plot Keywords:

Penguin | Antarctica | Mountain | Hand | Bucket

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 3 nominations

Cast

David Ainley	...	Marine Ecologist
Samuel S. Bowser	...	Cell Biologist
Regina Eisert	...	Physiologist
Kevin Emery	...	McMurdo Station Survival School Instructor
Ryan Andrew Evans	...	McMurdo Station Cook
Ashrita Furman	...	Multiple World Record Holder
Peter Gorham	...	Physicist - University of Hawaii
Werner Herzog	...	Narrator
William Jirsa	...	McMurdo Station Linguist - Computer Expert
Karen Joyce	...	Computer Expert
Doug MacAyeal	...	McMurdo Station Glaciologist (as Douglas MacAyeal)
William McIntosh	...	Volcanologist - Geochronologist
Olav T. Oftedal	...	Nutritional Ecologist
Clive Oppenheimer	...	Volcanologist
David R. Pacheco Jr.	...	McMurdo Journeyman Plumber
Stefan Pashov	...	McMurdo Station Forklift Driver
Jan Pawlowski	...	Zoologist
Scott Rowland	...	McMurdo Station Transportation Dept
Libor Zicha	...	McMurdo Station Utility Mechanic

Directed by
Werner Herzog

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Werner Herzog		written by

Produced by
Phil Fairclough	....	executive producer
Dave Harding	....	executive producer (as David S. Harding)
Julian Hobbs	....	executive producer
Henry Kaiser	....	producer
Andrea Meditch	....	executive producer
Erik Nelson	....	executive producer

Original Music by
Henry Kaiser
David Lindley

Cinematography by
Peter Zeitlinger

Film Editing by
Joe Bini

Production Management
Jessica DeJong	....	production manager

Sound Department
Werner Herzog	....	sound

Visual Effects by
Christopher Dusendschon	....	digital imaging supervisor: iO FILM

Editorial Department
Danica Barnes	....	on-line editor
Bartholomew Burcham	....	assistant editor
Herrianne Cayabyab	....	assistant on-line editor
Ryan Delk	....	first assistant editor
Brian Hutchings	....	colorist: Alpha Dogs, Inc.

Music Department
Stephen Hart	....	score mixer
Stephen Hart	....	score recording engineer

Other crew
Ryan Andrew Evans	....	production assistant

Thanks
Lloyd Austin	....	thanks
Samuel S. Bowser	....	thanks (as Samuel Bowser)
Steve Clabuesch	....	thanks
Art Devries	....	thanks
Roger Ebert	....	dedicatee
Guy Guthridge	....	thanks
Elaine Hood	....	thanks
Philip Kyle	....	thanks
Rob Robbins	....	thanks
Kim Stanley Robinson	....	thanks
Kim Silverman	....	thanks

Production Companies

• Discovery Films

Distributors

• Benelux Film Distribution (2009) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• Discovery Films (2008) (USA) (theatrical)
• Image Entertainment (2008) (USA) (theatrical)
• THINKFilm (2008) (USA) (theatrical)
• Image Entertainment (2008) (USA) (DVD)
• Revolver Entertainment (2009) (UK) (all media)

Other Companies

• Dolby Laboratories  sound mix
• Soundtrack  trailer

Runtime:

99 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

USA:G | Canada:G (Alberta/British Columbia/Manitoba/Ontario/Québec) | Netherlands:6 | Singapore:G | Australia:G

Filming Locations:

Antarctica

Company:

Discovery Films

Quotes:

Narrator: The National Science Foundation invited me even though I made it clear I would not be making another movie about penguins.

Movie Connections:

Features Them! (1954)

Soundtrack:

Planino Stara Planino Mari

Not another movie about penguins.

My school recently sponsored a screening of this film with Werner Herzog himself in attendance. Herzog joked with the audience that part of his ambition to make this film was because he wanted to document the Antarctic without making "another movie about penguins." And although a portion of the movie DOES contain a segment about penguins, it plays a minor role in a film of many elements which compose a curious and beautiful documentary. 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. Herzog narrates the film with a tongue-in-cheek sense of humor, yet always maintains respect for the subjects he covers. While he quipped with us afterward that this is not your typical Discovery Channel fare, he said he hopes to broadcast this film sometime on Discovery early next year. If that is the case, it is not a documentary anyone should miss.