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Credit: Allan Ashworth

After producing two internationally-acclaimed documentaries on Rwanda, award-winning journalist-turned-documentarian Anne Aghion set her sights on capturing the experiences of scientists and students working in the still mysterious Arctic landscape.

The film, entitled An Antarctic Spring,began production in August 2006 and will continue throughout the fall. Aghion and her small crew live and work at the McMurdo Station research community, which has greatly impacted Aghion’s methods as a director: “Aside from the three of us on the crew, there’s no one to really talk to about all that’s going on—so that alters the creative process for me.”

In addition, there are a number of technical limitations: Low temperatures, condensation on camera lenses and the tunnel vision forced by thick jackets and hoods. Yet, despite this, Aghion seems dedicated to giving the audience a glimpse of what life in Antarctica truly entails.

“If we can convey the difficulty and the laboriousness of it all, it’ll already be something,” she says. “It’s kind of a Sisyphus situation for everyone in Antarctica; you have to be prepared to perform the same activity over and over again and not be bogged down by the futility of your efforts.”

An Antarctic Spring is set to premiere in 2008 on the Sundance Channel and the Franco-German network ARTE to celebrate the International Polar Year. From more information, visit www.livingantarctica.org.