From pole ...

Acclaimed director Werner Herzog presents a personal view of Antarctica in his latest film, Encounters At The End of The World. He meets some of the 1,000 scientists who work at McMurdo Station, the US research headquarters on Ross Island, and muses on the beauty of the blinding landscape. Underwater shots skim the bases of ice floes and follow researchers diving for new species (pictured). The film opened last month in New York, moves to selected US cinemas during the summer and will première at the Toronto International Film Festival in Canada in September.

Credit: CREATIVE DIFFERENCES PRODUCTIONS

http://encountersfilm.com

... To poles

A NASA telescope features in the documentary BLAST! Film-maker Paul Devlin followed his astrophysicist brother Mark's team for 5 years as they attempted flights of the Balloon-borne, Large-Aperture, Submillimeter Telescope (BLAST) in the Arctic and Antarctic. The researchers reflect on their science, philosophy and struggles to capture light from distant galaxies. The film opened in Toronto in April. It will show at film festivals worldwide, including Imagine Science in New York in October and Doc/Fest in Sheffield, UK, in November.

http://www.blastthemovie.com

Saving lives

The use of retroviral drugs in treating AIDS is documented by eight noted photographers in Access to Life, on show at the Corcoran Gallery in Washington DC until 20 July. Supported by Magnum Photos and the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, it chronicles how the drugs improve the lives of 30 patients worldwide, highlighting the importance of global funding for AIDS research. The exhibition will travel to Mexico City, Paris, London, Berlin and Rome.

http://www.corcoran.org