“Antarctica: the Giant Awakens,” featuring Rowan faculty member, to premiere on campus

A new film featuring the work of Rowan University climate scientist Jennifer Walker, Ph.D., will screen at Edelman Planetarium in Science Hall Monday, Nov. 18, and Tuesday, Nov. 19, from 7-9 p.m.

Walker, an assistant professor of Environmental Science in the School of Earth & Environment, was part of a small team of researchers whose climate work in Antarctica is examined in the film, which features breathtaking, high-definition footage of the continent at Earth’s southern pole.

Walker described the film as a must-see for anyone concerned about climate change.

“I traveled to Antarctica in February 2023 to be a part of this film, which follows a team of scientists and highlights the continent’s role in the global climate system and the looming threat of sea-level rise,” Walker said.

The film, by acclaimed Australian director Liz Courtney, documents the potentially catastrophic global sea level rise that scientists believe may be imminent as a result of Antarctica's rapidly changing ice sheet.

Antarctica, which is nearly twice the size of Australia, holds up to 70% of the world's fresh water. The continent’s massive ice sheet is now under threat as ice cliffs surrounding the West Antarctic coastline melt and collapse due to rising temperatures, surpassing previous predictive models.

Released in March, the film premiered in the U.S. during Climate Week NYC in September.

Promotional material for the film describes “beautiful drone footage, captivating wildlife, (and) a frozen land of ice and beauty” as it documents “one of the world's hidden climate emergencies.” Ultimately, the film questions, is Antarctica waking up? And, if so, what does that mean?

The campus screenings will be followed by commentary by students in Walker’s Global Climate Crisis class about how climate change is impacting their lives.

Get free tickets now.