A new documentary detailing the devastating impact of climate change is set to hit the cinema screens in Belgium.
After a positive reception at the Ostend Film Festival, where it was named one of the audience favourites, the film – “2050” – is now preparing for its official cinema release on March 5.
The documentary is targeting an international audience because those behind it saying “the clock is ticking.”
They cite wildfires in California, floods in Spain and the Ardennes as examples of climate change.
The climate record of 2024 was “devastating”, they say,being the hottest year ever recorded, with 219 officially registered weather disasters and thousands of victims.
“And yet,” says Eric Rignot, International Glaciologist & Founder of NISAR (NASA), “in an endless stream of fake news, most people seem to have lost track of reality. How sick – or healthy – is our climate? What is fact, and what is fiction?”
“2050” travels to the most remote place on Earth: Antarctica. A world of ice, wind, and absolute silence.
It is, say the film makers, “a world that is now crying out louder than ever.To truly understand the state of our planet, we must go to the place where the impact of climate change is most acute.”
“The pace at which Antarctica is melting is unprecedented. Some people worry about their garage being flooded for a day. We must realize that these symptoms are not temporary but permanent. The melted ice water is moving fast, at an alarming rate,” adds Rignot.
With award-winning documentary filmmaker Eric Goens as a guide and legendary Belgian polar explorer Alain Hubert — founder and president of the International Polar Foundation (IPF) and leader of the research expeditions that take place at the Belgian Princess Elisabeth Station — as their “compass” the film offers a raw and confronting look at the heart of scientific climate research.
It follows dozens of scientists to Antarctica and join them in the search for sustainable solutions.
“We are the first generation to both understand the problem and know the solution,” says Goens. “It is our duty to protect this planet from even greater disasters. We owe it to all the generations that will come after us.”
Hubert adds, “Science is our compass in navigating the future of our planet. If we truly want to preserve Earth, we need to invest in polar research — especially in Antarctica, where the delicate equilibrium of our planet’s climate hangs in the balance.
“History has shown us the power of international collaboration, from Belgium’s pioneering Antarctic expedition of Adrien de Gerlache in 1897, to the world’s first zero-emission research station, the Princess Elisabeth Antarctica. Today, as we embark on designing the next generation of zero-emission research station, the Andromeda Earth Observatory, we must embrace the knowledge science provides and take responsibility for the choices that will define our future.”
The project is supported by Syensqo, a pioneer in science and sustainability.
“125 years ago, our founder Ernest Solvay backed the groundbreaking Antarctic expedition of Adrien de Gerlache. Today, we continue that same commitment,” says Dr. Ilham Kadri, CEO of Syensqo.
