Parents' Guide to

Antarctica: A Year on Ice

By Jeffrey Anderson, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 9+

Incredible docu captures human details of remote existence.

Movie PG 2014 91 minutes
Antarctica: A Year on Ice Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

Community Reviews

See all
Ms. Raney
Ms. Raney Parent of 0 and 0-year-old
April 4, 2016
age 8+

Slow pace, interesting facts

My class watched this documentary during our lunchtime "documentary club". It related to a unit about the Arctic and Antarctic ecosystems. It was very interesting to see the different types of jobs that need to be done in Antarctica, especially since many informational texts for this age only mention scientists living there. The pace was slow, so it may not be very engaging unless children are particularly interested in this topic.
See all 1 parent review

What's the Story?

At several Antarctic research stations, many scientists, engineers, technicians, and other experts live and work during the summer months, when the sun can be seen in the sky (and during one period, never completely sets) in ANTARCTICA: A YEAR ON THE ICE. During the winter months, a handful of brave souls stays behind to endure storms, isolation, disorientation, and a brutal number of weeks when the sun completely disappears. Filmmaker Anthony Powell keeps his cameras rolling in the bitter cold, picking up incredible time-lapse images, interviews with workers, and moments of jubilance, heartbreak, and truly astounding confrontations between man and nature at its most intense.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say: Not yet rated
Kids say: Not yet rated

Though life in Antarctica is challenging, this absorbing movie makes it look incredibly rewarding. Powell apparently spent 10 years making Antarctica: A Year on Ice, suffering frozen camera equipment and other setbacks. He doesn't focus on what the stations actually research, he rarely interviews scientists, and the climate crisis is only briefly alluded to. Rather, he focuses on everyday workers, mechanics, clerks, and administrators who help run things. The summer season then sharply clashes with the intense physical and emotional experience of a few dozen souls braving the winter months.

Powell doesn't let tiny details slip by -- like frozen bathroom pipes, 200-mile-an-hour winds, cravings for fresh vegetables, missing out on family events back home, and the very odd "T3 Syndrome," wherein workers very simply forget things they were doing just moments before. Workers aren't allowed to interfere with nature, so they can't rescue a lost baby seal, but they are allowed to fall in love, and Powell gets his own happy ending.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about whether spending a year in Antarctica seems enticing or frightening. What do the people in Antarctica: A Year on Ice experience? What do they have to do without?

  • What kinds of things can be learned from Antarctica?

  • Why aren't the humans allowed to interfere with nature in any way?

  • Why do you think people work together so well in this remote place?

  • How does Antarctica: A Year on Ice promote teamwork? Why is this an important character strength?

Movie Details

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

See all recommended movie lists

Related Topics

Want suggestions based on your streaming services? Get personalized recommendations

Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.

See how we rate