03/06/2019 - Piotr Jaworski’s documentary takes us back in time to a land literally far, far away to tell a gripping story about a scientist, his experiment and extreme solitude

The protagonist of Piotr Jaworski’s Krakow-screened The Antarctic Syndrome, Jan Terelak, is, according to Newsweek, one of the four most unethical psychologists in the world. Back in the late 1970s, he came to the Polish polar research station in Antarctica to observe and to learn what happens to men who live in isolation for an extended period of time. He was curious about what stress and isolation would do to their bodies and minds, and how blindly they would yield to authority. Not only did Terelak watch the polar explorers, but he also manipulated them and staged a few situations, in order to see their reactions. In terms of ethics, his studies are compared to Philip Zimbardo’s “prison experiment” and the research of Stanley Milgram.

Terelak and his former subjects now appear in front of the camera to recount and reminisce about that expedition. However, don’t expect this intriguing documentary to be a psychodrama, ominously unfolding before our eyes, pointing the finger at the perpetrator and allowing the victims to vent all of their suppressed pain and anguish. There is no doubt that Terelak’s experiment was unethical, but that is not the point of Jaworski’s storytelling. He uses interviews, some amazing archive footage and even animation to recount the events, rather than judging them.

As a result, we are invited to pay a visit to the unusual world of Antarctica and to soak up the atmosphere on this journey to the edge of the world. We get to ask all kinds of questions about the human psyche without the answers being served up on a silver platter. One of the most fascinating questions is the one about the impact of solitude on the heart, but also on the mind. The explorers spent time together, but they were cut off from the rest of the world and had few new experiences, which made their brains less and less efficient with every passing month. However, it’s clearly not as abstract a problem as it may seem, because even now, 40 years later, loneliness and isolation in big communities can also prove to be fatal. What Jaworski’s film also makes us realise is how fragile the human psyche can be and how easily it can be harnessed and brainwashed by a strong leader – or even one’s inner demons. 

Nevertheless, The Antarctic Syndrome is not all dark and creepy, as the polar explorers inject a lot of humour into their tales about the funny moments that took place during their “quarantine”: the crazy parties or reading Playboy, which was unheard of for people living in communist Poland.

All in all, this smart and captivating film is worth watching and picking apart – even if you’re not a Psychology student. The Antarctic Syndrome was produced by Poland’s Kalejdoskop Film, and was co-produced by Polish Television, Cine Village and EBH Polska.