The film is available for family viewing and is recommended for screening in schools and after-school institutions as part of educational and cultural programs.
On September 4, Anton Ptushkin's new documentary, “Antarctica,” filmed at the Ukrainian Akademik Vernadsky Station, was released on the big screens. It is an honest, fascinating, and informative story about the work of Ukrainian polar explorers on the least explored continent on the planet.
“This is probably the most interesting material I’ve ever worked with. When half of the release was edited, we filmed a small cinema, looked at what was coming out, at the approximate timing, and decided that Antarctica should still be shown on the big screen,” says Ptushkin.
The director had the opportunity to film all the stages that the jubilee, 30th Ukrainian Antarctic Expedition went through during its journey to Antarctica. This includes the journey on the Ukrainian icebreaker “Noosphere”, and life inside the station, with the opportunity to look into the polar explorers' refrigerator and ask why they need a crossbow.
“We are used to NASA telling us about cool scientific research, but for high-quality nature photography, we have to watch National Geographic. Anton Ptushkin's film “Antarctica” convincingly proves that we have both world-class science and equally world-class documentary filmmakers. It is a bit paradoxical, because in order to understand the true level of what Ukrainians can and are capable of, you have to go all the way to Antarctica. But that is what Antarctica is — a unique and unrepeatable, almost another planet, which you can also discover for yourself in this film,” shares Yevhen Dyky, director of the National Antarctic Science Center (NASC).
“Antarctica” has no age restrictions and is a great opportunity for children to see how modern Ukrainian science works – with humor, penguins, and real people on screen.
“For many of us, Antarctica seems like a distant and almost unreal place. But thanks to this film, it becomes truly close – through stories that reveal the real scale of Ukrainian science and the activities of our scientists. This film is striking in its aesthetics, but even more so – in its content and incredible facts. Behind the beauty of each frame is a deep awareness of how important the role of Ukraine is in world science. And this is something to be proud of,” notes Yevhen Kudryavets, First Deputy Minister of Education and Science of Ukraine.
The film was shot in March 2025. The film crew, consisting of one person — Anton Ptushkin, stayed at the station for only one week. The total work on the film lasted for 6 months.
“'Antarctica' is, in my opinion, a film about big dreams,” says the film's producer, Yulia Grebenevskaya. “It has everything: the beauty of nature, the power of science, and sincere heroes. And it's very important that it's coming out right now, because it's a reminder of what dreams and what future for the planet we're fighting for.”
