"The continent of Antarctica was the vanquisher of many lives before succumbing to the wiles of those extreme explorers," "Roald Amundsen, de Gerlache and Scott." "This fierce continent had dashed the hopes of famed Ernest Shackleton whose commitment to try again prompted this newspaper advertisement in England:" ""Men wanted for hazardous journey." ""Small wages, bitter cold," ""long months of complete darkness," ""constant danger." "Safe return: doubtful."" "THE LAST CONTINENT" "For this special occasion, on our first anniversary, we've brought out the wine." "A rare treat." "So, thanks everyone and happy anniversary." "Happy anniversary!" "One year!" "Thank you for this great meal, Joëlle." "It's September, a year has passed." "The southern winter pack ice has trapped the Canadian research vessel SEDNA IV in a small sheltered bay of the Antarctic Peninsula." "The crew had all contracted to face isolation and harsh conditions far from home." "This far south, there's no way to leave once winter starts." "The 13 crew members left everything and everyone they know behind, and threw themselves heart and soul into this endeavour." "They spent a year together in pursuit of a common goal:" "to document, through scientific data and images the effects of climate change on the Antarctic Peninsula during winter." "In winters past," "of this great white continent." "But now that global warming is affecting the poles, is this still the case?" "set sail from the east coast of Canada heading south to the planet's last virgin continent." "Sailing in the wake of the great explorers of the past, the SEDNA's crew takes advantage of a partial thaw of the pack ice in January," "to begin their mission." "Antarctic is called the last continent, isolated at the end of the world, largely ignored." "The scientists now recognize that this frozen land plays a vital role in the continuing of our existence on Earth." "It is at the heart of the great machine that is circulating the life blood of our global planet's system." "In recent decades, this part of the world has been warming five times faster than the rest of the planet." "It is in winter that the effects of climate change are most apparent." "In 50 years, the average winter temperature has increased in some parts of the peninsula by as much as six degrees Celsius - that's nearly 11 degrees Fahrenheit." "And the actual damaging effect of the temperature change" "to avoid the peril of winter's imprisoning living conditions." "The summer population of Adélie penguins, specialized ice dwellers, has plummeted as animal species from the North have moved into their territory." "With the warmer climate," "They've settled the area." "They've made themselves a summer home." "Elephant seals, fur seals, chinstrap penguins." "Their populations have exploded in these once inhospitable latitudes." "Most of the penguin species will pack up and go north before the expected winter ice brings everything to a standstill." "The SEDNA crew is anxious to study the impact of warming" "for their survival." "They'll see the winter through." "and chart the rhythm of the seasons." "They're adventurers, scientists and film makers but first and foremost, they are committed citizens of the Earth." "Such beauty as this moved even hardened men like the explorer Ernest Shackleton, who wrote:" ""We had seen God in His splendours," ""heard the texts that nature renders." "We had reached the naked soul of man."" "It's not even a metre away!" "I just want to discuss what we've accomplished so far and what's in store for us as well." "René, could you give us a rundown on the ice conditions we're likely to encounter and how we're going to operate within all that." "Well, it's certainly going to get worse from here on in because we have the icebergs, the growlers we're used to but we also have the bergy bits left over from the winter ice." "With the days getting shorter and the d ifficulty in spotting that ice, we will need a look out of the bowsprit." "If we ask you, we hope we will have your usual complete co-operation." "The icebreaker, lrizar, is behind schedule." "As you know, the lrizar is the last link to civilization for those who've decided to stay the winter." "The icebreaker is scheduled to meet up with us on March 2nd, at Melchior, to change crews." "And the lrizar is what I'd call the last chance icebreaker." "Remember that once that ship is gone there is no way you will be able to leave." "you will be captives on this boat, probably for nine months." "I know we've talk ed about this but there's a big difference between theory and reality." "And here we are, we're really here..." "And don't do it just for yourself." "Bear in mind that an unhappy person on a team can really undermine the morale of the troops." "It's very important to remember that." "If you have any doubt after thinking it through talk to your friends again." "But if you have serious doubts, I'd advise you to call it a day." "Right." "In the path of the great explorers of the turn of the last century, the crew has committed to just short of a year of deprivation." "And cruel winter knocks the men and women on SEDNA who answer." "Voluntary witnesses to a world in upheaval." "Attention everyone, entering an iceberg zone." "Please take your positions." "I'm steering in between the two biggest pieces." "How's that, Charles?" "No problem, the big berg on this side has a sheer face so we can get between them." "Like many others before me" "I feel a strong attraction to Antarctica." "For years, I have felt the urge to push the limits." "Personal limits that sustain this mysterious inner quest, but also the limits of exploration, which often demand that I test myself against that and the power of the elements." "This awesome power that can snuff out the life without warning is like a sword of Damocles hanging over a person who's persuaded his shipmates sail to the edge." "Of all of the feats of the explorers of the past, those of Sir Ernest Shackleton and his crew remain the most astounding." "In 1914, with a crew of 28 men," "South Pole already claimed by Amundsen in 1912, he set out to be the first to cross Antarctica by dog sled." "From the very beginning, he faced difficult sailing conditions." "I mposing pack ice stood in the way, completely blocking the ship's path, instilling doubt amongst some crew members." "But Shackleton's determination was unbowed." "He'd written that, as a child," ""I seemed to vow to myself that some day," ""I would go to the region of ice and snow and go on and on till I came to one of the poles of the Earth."" "The end of the axis upon which this great round ball turns."" "I am really doing a lot of thinking, while I can still get out." "These past few nights," "I've been going over things in my mind to make sure I'm doing the right thing." "All my life, once I've made a decision, good or bad, I've stuck to it." "But this is a tough one." "I keep wondering if I'm making the right choice and whether I should stay." "But Shackleton never even reached Antarctica." "Trapped in that pack ice of the Weddell Sea, he and his crew drifted for more than 10 months, from January to October 1916, confined to their ship." "I'm a bit hesitant to stay because of having to deal with people." "I'm not entirely happy with the way things are going." "It's not that I can't get along with people, not at all." "But when I've had enough I need to be alone." "We can't be on top of each other all the time." "I'm not afraid of what will happen." "Whatever happens happens, we'll deal with it." "There's going to be a big impact." "But imagining: what if we're stuck here or the boat gets a hole in it and we sink..." "Like, if something happens to people back home while you're stuck down here and a relative dies, it's worrying." "But I don't want to think about it." "It's completely blocked." "Mile upon mile of shifting ice exerted devastating pressure on Shackleton's three-master." "Powerless against the natural forces, the men set up a makeshift camp near the Endurance." "Shackleton had given his all and his men were now suffering the consequences." "Remember this advertisement?" ""Safe return: doubtful."" "A crew that signs that leader's honest proposal signs on to do a dance with death." "Jean, Jean Charles." "Yes, Charles." "Yes, Jean, I think we're as far south as we can go." "It looks solid up ahead." "Okay, thanks." "Pretty full, huh?" "The end of the line." "How tiny sailing ships seem in the face of these elements..." "What calls these men to the Far South cannot be explained." "You hear the call or you do not." "But if you do, you have to experience it." "Yes, Jean, the radar shows an opening in the pack ice to the west." "Do you want to go further south?" "Over." "When you look over there, it's solid pack ice." "Negative, Captain." "Thanks very much, we'll stop here." "Thanks." "Roger." "Shackleton's men did not die." "He saved their lives in what has gone down as one of the greatest acts of bravery and heroism in the history of sailing." "Shackleton sailed one of his open life boats across more than 800 miles of treacherous sea to South Georgia Island to seek means for their rescue." "The men, trapped in their tiny makeshift camp, waited in misery and hopelessness for his return, and return he did." "He'd brought them there and he got them out." "Alive." "No, I can't stay." "You'll get on each others nerves, driving everyone else nuts." "People get impatient, hyper-sensitive, there'll be anxiety attacks for sure, so I think you have to be a bit crazy." "The SEDNA must hurry now before the region is paralysed by the ice of the long Antarctic winter." "It must rendezvous at the last chance icebreaker for supplies and relief." "Storms in the North have delayed the arrival of the relief crew." "Only Mariano, a crew psychologist, is able to reach the SEDNA." "For those still on the fence, it's a last opportunity to reflect before taking the irreversible decision." "Welcome aboard." "How are you?" "I need a consultation tomorrow morning." "Me too!" "Me too!" "Hi!" "Long trip!" "The icebreaker's late arrival leaves the crew no alternative:" "the Argentineans insist that the provisioning be completed in the middle of the night, under hazardous conditions." "More than 24 tons of food supplies must be unloaded." " Chocolate." " Chocolate." "Fruit..." "This says:" ""Tomate en lata," is that tomato paste?" "No, it's canned tomatoes." "Cans?" "Well, we didn't get any." "We got tomato paste." "It's all tomato paste." "Because we have 200 kilos of tomato paste here." "And no tomatoes..." "No... no canned tomatoes." "So we have 200 kilos of tomato pasle." "Can we make Bloody Caesar with that?" "The SEDNA is dwarfed by the steel colossus beside her." "The wind is picking up and drifting ice threatens the success of the transfer." "Okay, let's go." "We're out of here." "Cast off the lines." "Roger." "Cast off the lines!" "First of all, thanks everyone, it's been quite a night." "Just a quick review, the meat is the priority and once we get it into the freezers, there won't be any more room." "So what we suggest is that in the morning, we'll set a wake-up time, we'll dig out the ice caves." "and cover the food up with snow, we'll bury it." "It's now four degrees on deck so it shouldn't thaw out too much." "It's for our survival so doing it properly is priority." "The good news is that there'll be no shortage of food for the winter." "One last night at sea, one last chance to enjoy the salt air of the open ocean." "In a few days, when they're solidly moored and the icebreaker bids them goodbye, survival will depend on the strength and ingenuity of the crew alone." "I'll be losing Charles and Gaston of the ship's crew." "And Claude and Stéphan of film crew." "Fortunately, Mario, the boatswain, might stay on but I'm still waiting for his final decision." "Look, it's cracked from top to bottom." "When that falls, it'll wake us up." "If they're well-grounded, they'll stay there for the winter." "Ah, we can see the buildings, we can see the cottage." "The buildings seem to be in good shape." "Martin, cameraman, and the crew's elder statesman, will stay, as will Pascale, one of the scientists." "The cook, Joëlle, had decided to go home then changed her mind." "She's still wavering." "For their winter refuge," "SEDNA has chosen an old Argentine research station in the Melchior Archipelago." "When the stern gets close, give the signal." "The SEDNA's hull is not able to withstand the pressure of shifting pack ice." "And if she were to remain on the open sea, she would likely be crushed like Shackleton's Endurance." "Yeah, he's started to push." "Mission leader Jean Lemire is counting on the reefs at the entrance of the bay to keep the icebergs out." "Looking good, René, we're in the middle." "Okay, he's going slowly, slowly, slowly." "They should stop pushing." "We're going a little too far towards the west shore." "The manoeuvre is tricky:" "SEDNA must slip in between the reefs." "Okay, second anchor to port." "A sturdy network of mooring lines attached to the shore will hold the vessel in the middle of the bay, while they wait for the ice to lock her in for the winter." "Okay." "How'll we do this?" "One box at a time?" "You just stuck it in a bag of peas!" "Or maybe in the butter!" "The crew will live aboard SEDNA using the abandoned research station for emergencies." "They only have a few days left to prepare the wintering site before the new crew mates arrive." "Abnormally mild weather makes it easy to work." "And many of the crew members enjoy the warmth." "But scientists are concerned." "It's too warm." "Way too warm." "Time's up." "One last night before the changing of the guard." "No more room for debate." "We bring your new team right now." "Everybody leaving must take that boat." "Okay, perfect." "Hi, François." "No, we can't see you." "We're just behind a mountain." "But I've spoken to lrizar and they told us you're getting into a Zodiac to come and join us." "Not to worry, you need to have confidence, François." "The SEDNA is here, you can't see it, but the boat is like the sun:" "even when you can't see it, it's there." "We'll see you in 15 minutes." "Now, get into the Zodiac." "Get off the radio and go, go!" "We're lacing up our skates." "We're in the playoffs this morning." "There're a lot of trades." "This was the trading deadline." "Ring the bell, Joëlle." "Serge, the diver, will replace Gaston." "And François will be the onboard doctor." "Stévens, the new mechanic and Marco, sound recordist, will replace Charles and Nicole." "To shut off the water, those are the valves you need to close." "René and Marcel, the captains, are leaving." "But they'll be back in the spring with the first research icebreaker." "SEDNA is firmly attached, and if the weather is anywhere near normal for the season, the ship will soon be iced-in firmly." "Bye, Martin." " Have a good summer." " Have a good winter." "I was thinking about going... but after meeting with Mariano and Jean," "I feel motivated and encouraged." "I'm staying." "And especially with new people joining us... it'll be like a breath of fresh air." "Good luck and have a great time." "I really hope this will be the greatest experience of my life." "That's what I'm hoping for." "I've had a lot of experiences and I hope this'll be the best ever." "They better be nice to us!" "Ah, don't worry!" "I hope they'll be good replacements." "Don't worry." "You'll forget them in no time." "The arrival of the new crew members makes 13 for the winter." "From now on, they're all in it together." "Everyone is here to stay." "Okay, we'll put them back and you'll help me get them down." "We'll take it to Joëlle and we'll see what she can do with it." "She needs to smell them one by one." "Broccoli by broccoli." "No." "Because it's open." "Get your fill of peas while you can." "Take some!" "Take some, they're good!" "There's guck at the bottom and guck at the bottom means it's going bad." "So, I'm not tempted." "Well, because by September..." "I know but that gucky stuff, no." "The guck..." "I can keep some for you but you're on your own." "Put my name on it." "I'll sell it to you in September." "It's swimming in its own juice." "It really stinks." "So, we're throwing out more than half of it." "So, we'll put this away and toss the rest." "Doc, that's our protein we're throwing out." "Our vitamins, our minerals, our greens, the morale of the troops." "Day One." "Day One of over-wintering." "Is that pork?" "That's pork and listen, it's completely thawed out." "We've found some ham but look... it's been unfrozen for a while." "We need a cutting board and a knife." "Yeah, I just want to see the colour." "What if we cut off a bit?" "Yeah, let's slice a piece off because for sure this colour is..." "Oh, it's fine, it's great!" "We're saved." "Saved, yes, but only through tremendous effort and strict discipline." " What?" " Careful." "Every day, the crew must rotate perishable foodstuffs between the freezers and the makeshift ice boxes built in the emergency buildings." "They shouldn't have to do this." "And it should be way colder than it is." "At the old research station, recreational activities are organized to give the crew time away from the SEDNA." "The ship seems to get smaller and smaller as time goes by." "They also set up the science lab;" "but that will have to wait for the pack ice to move in before research can begin." "The last plank is in!" "Yeah!" "The wintering-over site is ready." "So far... no winter." "Finally, after weeks of constant rain, the snow and ice are welcome sight for the crew, transforming the landscape, at last." "But relief is short-lived." "Winds from the North have arrived, carrying warmth from distant cities." "The temperature is well above average, more than five degrees Celsius, nine degrees Fahrenheit above seasonal norms." "This new warmth prevents the pack ice from forming." "It's too hot." "Way too hot." "The reefs at the mouth of the bay should prevent icebergs from posing a threat." "Curiously, the icebergs often try to enter at night, but they tend to break up when they hit the shoal." "There's something else." "There's always something else." "I thought I was down for the night, no worries, you know?" "Always in the middle of the night!" "The network of mooring lines holding SED NA to the shore was not designed to withstand high winds." "The ship was supposed to be iced-in by now." "Instead, strong winds have SEDNA dancing like a puppet on strings." "That's the rock that broke." "The anchor spike came right out when the rock split, so we'll secure it somewhere else." "We double and even triple some of the mooring lines to be on the safe side." "But with more storms expected, I am concerned." "Our only hope lies in the formation of the pack ice." "Without ice, safety remains a question." "And with no captain to sail the ship, escape is not an option." "Mario, another line just gave way aft." "So we had three breaks today?" "Three, yeah." "Four?" "One, two..." "Three in 50 knot winds." "If we go up to 60 knots, it won't hold." "The winds regularly top 100 km/h and the forecast for the days ahead is dismal." "If the lines that keep the SEDNA moored to the shore are snapped by the wind, the 650-ton vessel will be smashed on the rocks." "Accepting the isolation and the solitude of the long Antarctic winter to document climate change is one thing." "Being a victim of that climate change is another matter altogether." "What gave in, the line or the anchor pin?" "No idea, 'cause I can't really see." "The cable is underwater and held by another cable." "I think the rock has broken off again." "We're at 700 revs." "Because... if we have to get out of here..." "We'll release the bridge." "We'll have a look." "Unhook the suspension bridge." "Tell Sébastien to unhook the bridge and you come with me in the Zodiac." "I'll go talk to Stévens." "We gotta be ready." "When they break, they break like matchsticks." "Wait for our signal 'cause I don't want any lines  Getting caught in the propeller." "But if we have to get out, remember there's a reef right in front..." " We have to bear to port." " A bit." "Two more lines just gave way to port!" "Two port lines have given way." "We'll try to fix that." "Sébastien!" "Yeah, we're coming!" "What's happening is that the junction box fell into the water and short circuited." "Stévens has gone below to try to fix it." "Let's go!" "We've just lost another line!" "There's still four lines to port but just one left forward." "We have no time left, Mario, forget the repairs and prepare to evacuate." "Lower the hook, we're bringing up the Zodiac." "Mario, the green rope." "Loose the line!" "Let it go." "Look." "I suggest we stay ready but that tasks be assigned on deck but if it gives way, we get out of here." "We need to get everyone back in the wheelhouse to talk." "Bring an axe, Mario, if you need to, just cut the lines." "Look at that one coming in." "Yeah, that's a big one." "Big one." "Stand by to evacuate." "We won't have time for that meeting..." " Evacuate." " We have to evacuate." "Prepare to evacuate." "There's no choice, we have to get out." "Okay, Serge, get the axes." "We're getting ready to leave now." "Okay, I'll get the axes." "We'll go get the survival suits, I want them handy." "Let go of all the stern lines." "All the lines astern." "You can go." "Full ahead." "We're not moving, Mario." "We're not moving." "Have we dropped all the stern lines?" "That has to be clear." "No, the lines are still holding!" "Okay, release them." "Yes, cut the lines, cut everything aft." "Alright, we're moving." "We're moving." "Be careful, Jean, we're going onto the reefs." "Shift to starboard, turn hard to starboard." "I lost the bow thruster." "A line must be caught in it." "1,100 rpm." "Keep the engine at 1,100 rpm, move further forward and wait." "Looking good." "Hold it steady." "There's the coastline..." "Okay, Jean, great, we're out." "We're in the clear, well clear of the reefs." "What a drag to have to leave." "Yeah, yeah and all the lines are cut." "We've just left our winter mooring." "Thank you, everyone." "Congratulations." "It went very well given the circumstances." "Everyone stayed calm, it was great." "I consider that we were lucky to get out as we did." "In the morning, we'll sit down and assess the situation." "And everyone who can get to sleep, do so." "Get as much sleep as you can, because there is a lot of work to do." "Cut the lines, cut everything aft." "These cables are not good, we can still use those." "Okay, we're fine." "The bow thruster is okay, it was all tangled with the ropes and it jammed because of the ropes knotted around it but nothing seems to be broken, there's no oil leaking at all." " It's easing a little but..." " A bit..." "It snapped just like that." "Bang." "Like snapping a sheet of paper but with 10 million times more force." "It was just like cutting the lines with the axe." "Chop." "That was really something..." "Look." "This was the width we have here." "So if we go astern, this is wider, so we'll drop anchor here and go astern like this." " Okay, no swell there." " What about going this way?" "In a dead calm, yes." "It has to be calm, calm, calm with the inflatable, on either side." "The two inflatables like we did the other night." "Turn around in there, then use the bow thruster, if it's working, to position ourselves." "The idea is that we need to be stabilized before the 10th, because on the 10th, we're getting a big storm." " Today's the 7th, 8th?" " It's the 8th." "That means tomorrow." "The cables were stretched so tight that when you cut them they snapped." "They seem like the neighbours across the street." "It's weird, this place feels more like home than the boat does." " We had it all set up." " That must be it." "How about one last game?" " A duel." " I don't know how to play!" "Ping-pong teaches you always to be ready for the next shot." "So?" "Let's get out of here." " There's a bit of water in the boat." " A bit." "Where are we going, Mario?" "Heading home." "Where?" "Keep going till we hit the Virgin Islands, please." "Hey, look at the moon!" " Yeah, the moon up there." " It just rose over the mountain." "Shackleton wryly noted that the d ifficulties are just things to overcome." "A bit to port, Jean, to port because there's at least 28 feet of water here." "Pull as hard as you can." "But Shackleton also noted that superhuman effort isn't worth a damn unless it achieves results." "The rock gave way, Mario." "Yeah, okay." "These rocks aren't very solid, are they?" "The anchors are dragging." "We're drifting towards shore." "Mario, push the sailboat with the inflatable." "We're touching bottom." "We're touching bottom." "You see, we were at 943, if we can trust this, it's not over yet." "The worst is still ahead." "Quicke veryone, we have to get the lines to the shore." "That takes the cake..." " That takes the cake?" " I've had it!" "Yeah." "I wanna go to bed." "1, 2, 3..." "Go!" "There are two rocks holding 650 tons, in a 60 knot gale." "But at least it's not gusting." "How are you doing?" "I'm okay?" "It was pretty hairy, because there was nothing under the keel, just two feet of water." "The barometric pressure, you know, our previous record was 947." "At its lowest point, the barometer fell to 939. 5." "I've never seen it so low." "939.5!" "I've never seen that either." "Not even in Nunavik." "Never." "Their superhuman effort achieved results." "The team faced nature's challenge and won." "They showed exemplary courage but they're exhausted and shaken, and they must now hope that the winds die down and that their jerry-rigged mooring lines hold." "Antarctica's most fearsome predator... the leopard seal." "It seems to be waiting." "It's like a vulture circling its weakened prey." "But there is no question of giving up, no question of letting the elements win." "Survival is at stake." "Winter's cold still refuses to appear." "Winter's light is dwindling." "Less and less daylight." "Hopes of seeing pack ice diminishing." "Confined to their steel prison, the crew's limited activity worries them." "That's for people who are in shape." "No, for people who aren't in shape." "People who want to get in shape." "The Antarctic darkness now lasts 20 hours." "And the high walls of this icy stronghold prevent the sun's low rays from shining into the bay." "With four hours of indirect daylight, everyone's mood is as gloomy as the weather forecast." "In this unending greyness, only the fragility of natural beauty provides moments of joy and inspiration." "July is just like June;" "as often as the temperature dips below the freezing point, that often does a low pressure system from the North bring back the unseasonable warmth." "With no pack ice, the crew is trapped onboard." "The crabeater seals, which need to be on ice to reproduce and give birth place their hope on a few drifting ice floats." "So does the SEDNA." "The leopard seal still lurks, threatening each and every inhabitant of the bay." "The Weddell seal waits too." "And what about the gentoo penguins?" "They should have left three months ago, but they don't seem to be in any hurry to go." "None at all." "The motor on the inflatable has given up the ghost." "In this frustrating sea that refuses to freeze, a motor's demise places one more limit on liberty." "Our lack of mobility, the 20 hours of darkness and the close quarters are having an increasingly pronounced effect on mind and body." "The crew believed they were ready to deal with the isolation and the pressures." "The first scientist to winter over in Antarctica were the crew of the Belgica, in 1899." "The 19 sailors did not choose to stay but became trapped in the unyielding pack ice." "In his log, the ship's captain, Adrien de Gerlache wrote the following passage:" ""Soon, our complexions took on a greenish hue." ""Our internal organs were scarcely working" ""and unsettling symptoms of cardiac" ""and cerebral ailments began to emerge." ""One of the sailors was beset by an attack of hysteria," ""to the point of being struck deaf and dumb for several days," ""while another succumbed to the effects of paranoia" ""and was convinced that the crew wanted to take his life." ""Not a single officer was spared from the ravages of illness." ""Life goes on monotonously, almost mechanically."" "So, finally, did you talk to him?" "Well, I tried on a couple of occasions today but he's not really responding." "He's kind of..." "in one of those moods where, you know, how he can get sometimes." "He gets closed, it's weird." "We cannot tal k to him." "We're on a small boat here, I mean..." "We're all..." "I mean, we're all adults." "We can all deal with the situation." "At one point," "I had a real problem with someone." "I was very angry." "And rather than let it all out and upset the delicate balance on the boat," "I took my pen and my journal and wrote and wrote and wrote." "So, yeah." "I'll give him some time." "And see how it goes." "Also, I don't take it personally, so..." "All right, thanks, man." "I felt relieved afterwards, freed up." "It was much easier for me to be with the people concerned, and that's important because, as the doctor in the group, my door needs to be open at all times." "If I'm mad at you, how can I receive you and take care of you properly?" "A doctor to care for their bodies, a psychologist to care for their minds, a health team that promotes listening and preventive medicine." "Okay, let's go." "Let's attack the ice." "This expedition was Mariano's idea." "He was con vinced that it would have a positive effect on the crew's morale." " We have one hour." " One hour?" "To prepare everything, and be sitting down." "Yes!" "There we are, step one complete." "Next step, the receiver." "Whoa!" "Whoa!" "Mariano, Mariano, can you hear me?" "It just blew up, stand by." "I don't know why." "Maybe the receiver blew." "Okay, we'll give her a whirl." "I swear, nothing will stop us." "No signal, not receiving anything." "You've got something, you've hit it." "We're getting something, it's climbing. 34, 34... 33, 32," "33, 32... 0, 24... 24, 23, 21... 22, 23..." "Zero." "31." "There 's no picture, Mariano." "We've got picture!" "Mundial Total from Antarctica." "Sponsored by mate." "Bravo, bravo!" "Ernest Shackleton wrote:" ""After months of want and hunger," ""we suddenly found ourselves able to have meals fit for the gods, and with the appetites the gods might have envied."" "When you saw them, were they close?" "They're out in the open water." "The great ice cover is gone, delaying their signal to head north." "Age-old routes of migration have been altered." "Even the whales have not received their invitation home." "So they still hang around the sector." "The grand spectacle of nature is thrilling." "Its beauty soothes the spirits." "But its details define our global warming." "The crew of SEDNA feel a formidable commitment as they witness these seldom observed changes occurring in this fragile world." "Whoo-ooh!" "Ice has arrived, at last." "Thin but there." "August just brought a hint of the Antarctic winter." "Finally, it seems, the ice has decided to form in the little bay." "We can see the ice bending." "Try to stand up, now." " Here we are!" " Should we try a little jig?" "Each passing day brings as much as seven more minutes of daylight." "Crew morale rises in tune with the increasing light." "Whoo-ooh!" "I split the blue line in two." "Here we go again." "Well, it's a change from being indoors." "Ice has formed in the bay, but the bay's an exception." "All around, as far as the eye can see, is open water." "There is no longer any doubt:" "winter will not have enough time to form the ice cover essential to Antarctic life." "Crabeater seals; the ice-bound bay now represents the only hope for animals that need ice to reproduce and give birth." "Here they are, an awkward confederacy of climate victims gathered on a floating island." "Environmental refugees sharing the same land." " He's a pro with a wet ball!" " That doesn't count..." "Zamboni, we need a Zamboni!" "Yeah, you're trying those Inuit tactics." "Hey, Mariano, I quit!" "Hey, can I have some sausage?" "Look." "That little one looks done." "The return of the ice has had a healing effect upon the crew, releasing their spirits held captive." "Life becomes more harmonious amongst all species, and even the krill, those little shrimp-like crustaceans... have returned with the pack ice." "Krill is an essential food for many species of birds, fish and mammals, and it needs ice to grow." "Cheers!" "Chin chin, Mariano!" "It would taste great, on a cracker with a bit of butter." "In the deep waters of this little-known world, life comes in all shapes and colours." "It's like a great moving fresco." "So much strange and mysterious beauty." "How long it has been here...?" "How long can it endure?" "How long?" "The arrival of the ice allows scientific research to begin." "Damián and Sébastien have already observed the effects of the late-forming pack ice on species of plankton." "Plankton depend on the ice's protective cover for survival." "Without it, the damaging rays of the sun penetrate the water column, and that causes potential cell damage to the planktonic, the free-floating organisms that are the basic food for many ocean species." "Weddell seals also need the pack ice to raise their young." "The females have no time to lose." "At any moment, the thin layer of ice could disappear." "Go, go, go, go, go!" "Aw!" "Having the ice changes everything." "We can just step off the boat and go." "We can walk, go up into the hills all around... and really be in touch with nature, close up." "That's what's been missing since the beginning, direct contact with the Antarctic." "Hey, hey, hey!" "Yeah!" "The crew's icy world is expanding." "They can now explore the south end of the bay, where an intruding sea has been able to undermine an ancient glacier." "This new strait does not appear on any map." "In 1956, a glacier completely covered those islands." "A wall of ice towered 60 metres high." "So in a scant 50 years, the glacier has vanished, revealing those previously unchartered islands hidden beneath it." "There's a lot of water." "You see, all of this is an arm of the sea." "This has all really been dredged out and even gravity has played a part." "Sooner or later, that ice wall's going to fall." "Just as this piece did." "They fall into the ocean and float." "They float out and there in the distance, you can see the sea, open water, and if we go a bit further we'll see Melchior." "That's all that remains of that glacier that had so adamantly stood here for thousands and thousands of years." "Here, fragments of drifting ice, that's all." "Terrible testament of a world that's changing far too quickly." "Change that's perhaps beyond our control." "How fragile our planet..." "How careless we have been..." "I came to observe but I seem to have lost my way." "I'm alone in the face of vast and powerful forces." "What are we compared to all this?" "There's a sad feeling of helplessness at the loss of all this." "Will our negligence end up destroying the balance of the world?" "For all of us, the threat is now too real." "SEDNA 4, shore party to SEDNA 4." "Yes, go ahead, Jean." "Yes, Pascale, we're about to leave." "The winds are fairly strong, visibility is fair, but we should make it." "Roger that." "For this special occasion, to celebrate the expedition's first year, we've brought out some wine." "A rare treat." "So thanks to everyone and happy anniversary." " Happy anniversary." " One year!" "What a great meal!" "It's September." "One year has gone by since SEDNA left Canada." "The great explorers of yesteryear over-wintered under completely different conditions." "But have things changed that much?" "All of us must confront our solitude and this prolonged contact with nature allows us to fully understand that all forms of life share the same fate." "On this little patch of pack ice, life bursts into existence." "It's hanging on." "But it may be running out of time." "Time, that for so long stood so silently by while all the forces to be reckoned with down here raged, has now itself become a force to be reck oned with." "And time weighs heavily upon the crew." "Probably my biggest worry about this adventure is that my daughter won't suffer because of our separation." "That's the hardest thing for me, to think about Alexia..." "This year she's starting school, there are times in the year that will be hard, and I'm the only daddy here" "who has left behind such a young child." "And if anything were to happen, I know I would never forgive myself." "Ah, it's ringing!" " Hello." " Hello, sweetheart!" "Hi, Daddy!" "Hi!" "Happy birthday!" "Thank you!" "Happy birth day Alexia Happy birthday Alexia" "Happy birth day happy birth day my little darling" "And a big, big kiss!" "I love you, sweetheart!" "Happy birthday!" "I love you too, Daddy." "Listen, sweetheart," "I want to wish you the most beautiful day." "I love you." "Me too." "I'll get mommy, okay?" "No, hang on!" "I just want you to know I'll be thinking about you all day long." "Okay, I'll get mommy." "Mommy, daddy wants to talk to you." " He's really shivering, isn't he?" " Yes." "It's weird." "Look, the mother is way over there." "Yeah, she's far." "As if she's abandoned him completely." "Get out the radio, we'll call Pascale." "SEDNA 4, SEDNA 4, shore party here." "Yes, go ahead, Jean." "Pascale, listen, we just came across a Weddell seal pup, a newborn." "He seems to be in a very bad shape." "He's shivering;" "his mother seems to have abandoned him." "I'd like you to take a look." "Over." "Okay, no problem." "Right." "We are located close to..." "right beside... we're in the channel where the ice came down not too long ago." "Where the ice walls fell, we're right there." "Roger." "On my way." "Okay, see you soon." "The hardest thing for me right now... not just being far from the family." "When your family's okay, everything is fine, you just miss them and that's to be expected." "But at the moment... but at the moment, my father's in the hospital." "He's had a stroke." "Then he developed pneumonia and other stuff and now he's been transferred to a rehab centre because his throat is paralyzed." "He has to be tube-fed and all that." "And now they're saying it might be a year before... before he gets better." "That's what I'm finding hard." "Not being able to go see him." "Just see him, be with him, hold his hand, just be there, that's all." "That's what's hard." "Really hard." "We're far away, eh?" "Now I realize just how far away you can be." "And you feel helpless." "There's nothing you can do for your family." "He's not cold." "He's shivering but... it's probably the only way he has to stay warm." "If she doesn't feed him..." " He'll die." " He won't have any warmth." "Anyway, there's nothing much we can do." "We'll leave him, we'll move away as far as possible and hope the mother comes back." "She's not really that far." "But if she's already abandoned him, she's not likely to come back." "I have room in my cabin." "Maybe there's still a chance." "We'll move off... and hope that..." "He's not moving much." "Right now, right now I'm not so scared that he'll die." "Last week, I was afraid... that something really bad would happen." "But... but all the same, he's not well." "Just knowing he's not well." "No matter what the disease, just knowing the person is sick," "just knowing they're sick, that hurts." "That's what I'm going through now but I need to work, get up every morning, do my job... and hope for the best." "That's it." "Ah, great." "Good." "That's good." "There you go." "Yeah." "There she goes." "Yeah, it's okay." "Yes!" "Already, their small island of ice is growing more fragile." "Over the winter months, the average temperature recorded by the scientists was -5 degrees Celsius." "The lowest temperature, a single night, it only got down to -14." "Scientists confirm the average winter temperatures in this part of the peninsula have risen by six degrees Celsius;" "nearly 11 degrees Fahrenheit over the past 50 years." "In the challenge to survive, some species will adapt," "others will not be able to." "Even the emperor of this kingdom of ice seems lost, far from his own kind." "Ambassador of a world in turmoil." "He casts his eyes over a landscape transformed by our reckless disregard." "But hope springs eternal." "Humanity has at long last awakened to the consequences of our trampling ecological footprint on this borrowed planet." "We know, all of us, that we must do all we can to diminish the impact of our presence." "If we do, nature and all its beauty and complexity will have a chance to survive, and this world and us with it will taste the triumph of that survival." "For now, the crew of the SEDNA will pack away the images, the memories, the mementos." "We will keep them in the private comers of our hearts and minds." "We will all need them so we never forget the silent strength and beauty of this world." "Bad day looking for a way" "Oh looking for the great escape" "Gets in his car and drives away" "Far from all the things that we are" "Puts on a smile and breathes it in" "And breathes it out" "He says bye-bye" "Bye to all of the noise" "Oh he says bye-bye" "Bye to all of the noise" "It's been 430 days since SEDNA left home." "Day continues to steal time from the night, the darkness is coming to an end." "So too is this crew's long journey into the depths of themselves." "They're heading home to everything that once was but now will never ever be the same again." "Because a part of their souls remains here, a piece of eternity, for eternity, that has refused to die." "Hey child things are looking down" "That's okay" "You don't need to win anyways" "Don't be afraid just eat up all the grey" "And it will fade away" "Don't let yourself fall down" "Bad day looking for the great escape" "He says bad day" "Looking for the great escape" "On a bad day" "Looking for the great escape" "Marco, can you be serious for once in your life?" "No!" "Subrip : easytobeaman" "DVD Subtitling :" "CNST, Montreal"