Celluloid Chill

You know how movies about cold places always leave you feeling a bit of a chill? Werner Herzog's Encounters at the End of the World takes you one step further. This is not just a documentary about the landscape of Antarctica or the scientific research that goes on there. It is a look into the lives of the fascinating men and women who choose to live in an unlivable region and dedicate their lives to scientific exploration. Encounters with a researcher/contortionist, an underwater diver obsessed with 1950s sci-fi, a renegade penguin and others leave you feeling an almost spiritual connection to the otherwise barren land. Herzog's powerful but soothing voice doesn't just narrate the story but transports you to the world of his subjects and somehow leaves you feeling wiser, like you've not just encountered, but connected with, another world. Encounters at the End of the World screens Friday through Sunday at The Modern in Fort Worth as part of The Magnolia at the Modern, an ongoing series featuring critically acclaimed films. Tickets are $8.50 or $6.50 for Modern members. Advance sales begin two hours prior to each show. For showtimes, visit themodern.org/magnolia.html.
Fri., Sept. 26; Sat., Sept. 27; Sun., Sept. 28, 2008