The Antarctic experience in 21st-century films and series: self-realisation, mysticism, female subjectivity
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.34640/ct10uma2025grasradicchiKeywords:
Antarctica, contemporary cinema, documentary cinema, phenomenology, territoryAbstract
Antarctica in cinema is a research topic that has, until now, been little studied. This article adopts a phenomenological approach that aims to show that the lived experience of this territory, as presented in films (fiction, but mainly documentaries) and series of the XXI century, is structured by three main axes. The first is personal fulfilment. It can involve taking up a challenge to free oneself from verdicts that hurt the ego and regain full self-confidence, to build an ethic governing the conduct of one's life, or even to find something to enliven one's art. But, second axis, the contemporary experience of the White Continent also has a mystical side. As such, the experience in the audiovisual productions studied can be more meditative, cosmic, in an immanent mode, or rather commanded by religious affects; forms of miracle can also emerge. Finally, the last point of this article concerns the female experience. Gender significantly influences experiences in Antarctica. Some of the films analyzed may fictionally address the emancipation of a woman, while others document the encouraging evolution of the female experience in this territory. Related issues are addressed, including motherhood and sexual harassment.
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