Events & Calendars CHI Salon: "What's It Like to Film Scientists at Work in the Antarctic?"

In April of 2016, photojournalist Maria Stenzel spent one month filming the scientific life aboard the icebreaker Nathaniel B. Palmer on a voyage to the western Antarctic Peninsula. She chronicled the round-the-clock work of physical oceanographers, benthic marine biologists and phytoplankton specialists who are studying why marine life thrives in Andvord Bay and how the influx of glaciers calving into the bay impacts marine life. Funded by the National Science Foundation, the expedition’s scientists seek to understand this ice-dominated ecosystem before it is altered by climate change. The Antarctic Peninsula is one of the fastest-warming regions on the planet, rivaling the rate of warming in the Arctic. Using small cameras such as GoPros mounted on the scientists’ helmets and a drone for aerial footage, Maria documents the excitement, disappointment and challenges of a scientific expedition.

Classical violinist Michi Wiancko has composed an original film score to accompany this impressionistic 10-minute film, which she will play live. A Q&A will follow the film. Join Michi and Maria for a live performance at the CHI.

Michi Wiancko is an internationally acclaimed violinist and composer. She has toured with Silkroad and Yo-Yo Ma, among many other ensembles, and runs Antenna Cloud Farm music festival in Gilll, Mass.

Childcare is available.