Screening of The Last Continent (dir. Jean Lemire), a fascinating documentary on climate change through a 430-day intense expedition in Antarctica.

Québec Film Week
December 12 & 14
Landmark’s Opera Plaza Cinema
Tickets available here

Filmmaker and marine biologist Jean Lemire (The White Planet) leads an intense 430-day expedition to Antarctica in this resonant documentary about a group of scientists investigating the effects of climate change. When the team arrives they discover that warmer temperatures causing upheavals in the ecosystem also threaten the safety of the crew members themselves. Awaiting the arrival of a desperately needed winter, they struggle to keep food supplies cold and the boat anchored against gale-force winds.

The various challenges, coupled with only four hours of sunlight each day, would send most rushing home — but the intrepid crew remains infectiously upbeat, playing hockey, kayaking, riding bicycles on the ice and studying a variety of other species whose deep-rooted habits have been disrupted by the warming trends.

Cinematographers Martin Leclerc and Mario Cyr capture glorious shots of Antarctica’s sublime landscapes as well as the marvelous and fascinating species that thrive in the crystal-clear water under the ocean’s icy surface. Donald Sutherland's deft voiceover narration weaves together ecological facts, historical accounts of Antarctica’s perils, and details of Lemire’s mission to create a richly textured profile of the continent. With compassion and urgency, the film makes a compelling case for action, suggesting that the effects of global warming on our fragile world run far deeper than we can see.

Presented with support from the Goldman Environmental Prize.

December 12, 2008, 6:15 pm, Landmark’s Opera Plaza Cinema
December 14, 2008, 3:30 pm, Landmark’s Opera Plaza Cinema

Address: 601 Van Ness Avenue, San Francisco, California, USA
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