Antarctica

Original title: Nankyoku monogatari

1983
G
2h 23m

IMDb RATING

7.6/10

1.8K

YOUR RATING

Two Japanese scientists, Ushioda and Ochi, develop a bond with their sled dogs while on an expedition in Antarctica. They eventually leave Antarctica, only to return to search for the dogs inadvertently marooned there.

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Adventure Drama

Two Japanese scientists, Ushioda and Ochi, develop a bond with their sled dogs while on an expedition in Antarctica. Ushioda and Ochi eventually leave Antarctica, only to return to search fo... Read allTwo Japanese scientists, Ushioda and Ochi, develop a bond with their sled dogs while on an expedition in Antarctica. Ushioda and Ochi eventually leave Antarctica, only to return to search for the dogs inadvertently marooned there.Two Japanese scientists, Ushioda and Ochi, develop a bond with their sled dogs while on an expedition in Antarctica. Ushioda and Ochi eventually leave Antarctica, only to return to search for the dogs inadvertently marooned there.

See production info at IMDbPro

IMDb RATING

7.6/10

1.8K

YOUR RATING

See production info at IMDbPro

Awards
- 3 wins & 5 nominations total

Trivia
It was a big cinema hit, and held the Japanese box office record for a domestic film until it was surpassed by Hayao Miyazaki's Princesse Mononoké (1997) .

Quotes
Girl with Riki: Riki was raised on Kio island. Once winter gets there, the dogs would be left on the island. But people will come back for the winter. The dogs would have to go and find food for themselves. They would survive. Therefore Riki must be surviving on his own also. Because he is a diligent dog. Even if he can survive on Kio by himself, you can't compare Kio with Antarctica. I think so.
Akira Ushioda: It's impossible for all of them to survive. However, recently I've felt that a few of them might be able to survive. That's what I think.
Girl with Riki: But the temperature in Antarctica gets to forty below. Even fifty.
Akira Ushioda: Karafuto dogs can withstand cold weather very well.
Girl with Riki: Riki will probably find food on his own.
Akira Ushioda: I hope so.
Girl with Riki: That's encouraging.
Akira Ushioda: Up till now, I've still been regretting that we didn't kill the dogs. But that would be wrong. Because that's not the way life is supposed to be. All lives are equal. No one has the right to end the lives of those dogs. It took me such a long time to understand that.

Connections
Referenced in Meikingu obu 'Nankyoku monogatari' (1983)

Soundtracks
Ai no ôrora
Music by Tetsuji Hayashi
Lyrics by Tokiko Iwatani
Performed by Keiko Oginome
Courtesy of Canyon Records

User reviews23

Featured review

10/10

Great

There are few movies that really strike you. This is one of them. If you have a heart, then there's no way you can avoid feeling, crying and loving this movie. This year Walt Disney released a new version of it, Eight Below, which I will see this week - and obviously, i will compare!!! But out of all the movies I saw in my childhood, this one is in the top-10... it grabs you and stays in your mind for ever! I don't know yet about the American version, but this Japanese original was so so so good! As you follow the tough life of this bunch of lovely dogs, you experience fear, happiness, sadness, love... the whole thing. As they fight for life in this harsh environment, you also get to appreciate the scenery. They are not all making it though, and you cry and cry and cry... You want to help so much, it brings out all the best in you... A MUST SEE! I am upset there's never been any video/DVD release of that movie, it's a masterpiece! All movies involving cute animals are winners, but this one is really striking and you will never forget it. In a different context, other great and moving movies include L'Ours (France) i.e. The Bear, and Deux Frères (France) i.e. Two Brothers. The later made me cry even more than Antarctica. These two movies really hurt, it's unfair what's happening and you get really sad. But it's so beautiful as well. I hope that Eight Below won't be a crap too-americanised remake. I wish Antarctica was just available, it's not at all and it's a shame that the World can't see it.