These two stills from Herzog’s documentary Encounters at the end of the world embrace the forlorn soul-searching atmosphere portrayed in the film. The first still captures the moment a cell biologist reconciles with the fact that he will never again return to the pole to do research as his age will prevent him. He recollects on his past life and the shortness of life itself. Meanwhile in the other still, a penguin has lost its ability to reason and abandons its group to wander into the icy mountains. Unknowing of the fate that lies before him, he blissfully waddles into the cold.

I feel that these two scenes signify two of the points Herzog wished to make about the human experience. On one hand, you can reminisce on the past and contemplate your actions bringing you to a pensive mood about life and its meaning. However, on the other, you can blindly follow your thoughts and desires until your time comes to an end. Herzog wanted to display the difference between truth and facts. One can scientifically measure that the penguin and man will die but at the same time, their individual truth is very different for each of them.