I can hear chants and incantations
And some guy is mentioning me in his prayers
Well, I don’t know what it is
But there’s definitely something going on upstairs
– nick cave

I’m not sure why, but I was thinking of ICBMs.  The idea that we can sit on one side of the earth and wipe out the other side with little more than the press of a button.  In a way Antarctica is under assault from over the horizon.  While we at home debate whether a cool summer says anything about global warming, it’s raining on the Antarctic Peninsula.  In the often elusive battle of climate change, the earth’s poles are undoubtedly ground zero. Terra Antarctica examines the tell-tale silhouettes burned into the ice. And that’s just one part of the story…

I imagine Jon Bowermaster would love to make a film about the beauty and wonder of Antarctica and not hit a single negative note, a film with no mention of climate change, or greed or politics. Yet to do that would be wildly obtuse, somewhat like overlooking the terminal illness of a loved one.

Jon’s latest film in the Oceans 8 series, “Terra Antarctica”, portrays a land under siege from so many angles that only it’s location and sheer size offers this once lost continent  some level of protection. Yet even these defenses are faltering.  In some sense climate change is weakening a leviathan, making it more accessible to those who come to gawk and those who would come to profit.  Each person or concern is in their own way nipping at the giant’s belly. Seeing dollar signs, nations are re-visiting past treaties and claims. A world once altruistic in it’s desires toward Antarctica now hunger for the resources that may be hidden within it’s frozen grip. Some nations have gone so far as to staff under funded, scientific research stations with military personnel simply to keep their feet upon the land.  Eco-tourists drive a thriving new business model causing ships to play bumper boats among the icebergs without regard to the the dangers of the waters within which they play, or the potential harm they themselves could cause.  All the while the ice, and the ecosystems that depend on it, are melting away.

Within the story of Antarctica are many smaller stories. Within them, many more. A web within a web. Even the tiniest footnote of a tale needs to be told to help the unfamiliar grasp in any real way what is actually going on in Antarctica.  If there is a fault to Terra Antarctica it is that 48 minutes can hardly scratch the surface, leaving the film maker to paint with a brush so broad that it’s left to the viewer to make the connections.  Some will undoubtedly see a group of disconnected stories and miss the larger picture entirely. The complexity of Antarctica’s story is maybe it’s greatest enemy. Jon makes a valiant attempt to bring it all together through immersive imagery and precise storytelling that will accommodate the average  modern attention span.

Terra Antarctica is at it’s best simply carrying you along in this shockingly beautiful land. Antarctica is masterfully presented in such a way  as to translate this cold and stark continent into a world that feels warm and inviting. For good or bad I’m sure it will help fill an eco-tour or two.  A mix of talent and providence came together to fill Terra Antarctica with some amazingly unique images including the up-close collapse of a colossal ice arch and pouring rain soaking into glacial ice.

Should you buy, Terra Antarctica?  Well, certainly. The award winning film offers the amazing imagery and fine storytelling that we have come to expect from Jon Bowermaster and talented folks that make up his teams. I believe many of us however will walk away feeling like we’ve only skimmed the surface of Antarctica’s story. My wish would be that Terra Antarctica was simply a 48 minute trailer for a series where the many stories held within could be explored more deeply. Jon’s obvious love and affinity for Antarctica makes him the perfect channel for such a project.

Dear National Geographic.. please get someone on that right away… thanks!

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