Antarctica: The Giant Awakens
Ever wondered what role Antarctica plays in influencing climate hazards like floods and fires in Australia and rising sea levels in southeast Asia and Oceania?
Date & Time
28 June 2026, 4:15 pm
James Theatre
About the event
EVENT 2: Antarctica: The Giant Awakens
Sunday 28 June, 2-4pm at James Theatre, Dungog NSW
About the Director
Join visiting Australian director Liz Courtney for a special Dungog screening of her internationally acclaimed documentary exploring Antarctica, climate science and the global changes shaping our future.
About the documentary
Antarctica - The Giant Awakens is a breathtaking journey to the frozen edge of our planet, where science, courage and discovery come together to reveal the beauty, wonder and urgency of understanding our changing world.
The documentary follows a team of climate scientists as they embark on a mission to Antarctica, led by Prof Benjamin Horton, one of the world’s leading experts in sea-level rise and director of The Earth Observatory of Singapore. Accompanied by renowned Director of Photography Michael Dillon AM, the team endeavours to conduct innovative scientific research sampling air microbes in Antarctica to provide critical insights into changing atmospheric wind systems and the combined impact of the ocean-atmosphere relationship on global weather systems, including those affecting Australia.
Antarctica, nearly twice the size of Australia, holds 75% of the world’s fresh water. However, the Antarctic ice sheet, perched on a bedrock base, is now under threat as colossal ice cliffs surrounding the West Antarctic coastline are collapsing due to warming ocean temperatures in the Southern Ocean, surpassing previous predictive models. Prof Horton emphasises the urgency of understanding the rate of glacier melt and the impacts of increased fresh meltwater into salty ocean currents.
Liz Courtney said the documentary aims to inspire communities and younger generations to engage with science, leadership and solutions for the future.
“Antarctica may feel far away, but what happens there affects us all. This film is about courage, discovery, science and hope — and the importance of communities coming together to understand and respond to change,” Courtney said.