Christchurch filmmaker Vanessa Wells has brought the icy expanse of Antarctica to the big screen in her new documentary Mighty Indeed, which follows the journeys of three female scientists working in one of the most extreme environments on Earth.

Wells said the idea for the film took shape during her very first trip to the ice. She had gone to write a touring play for schoolchildren but instead found herself captivated by a chance encounter with scientist Dr Natalie Robinson.

“She just completely blew me away,” Wells said. “She was so down to earth and engaging and yet doing this incredible work in Antarctica. I realised then there was a bigger story to tell about women in science and what it means to work in a place like that.”

Wells said Mighty Indeed is as much about identity as it is about science. “It is about challenging ideas of who gets to be a scientist. It is about seeing women doing groundbreaking research in one of the harshest places on the planet and recognising that they belong there.”

Filming in Antarctica came with major technical and physical challenges. “Your equipment behaves differently down there. At minus ten or minus fifteen, most of the gear worked fine, but the LED screens would freeze up sometimes. At minus forty, the camera just stopped altogether. And to be honest, so did I. It was brutal,” she said.

Despite the conditions, Wells said she would return in a heartbeat. “There is something so humbling and raw about being down there. You are completely dependent on your team and your gear and you are constantly reminded of how small you are in the scheme of things.”

She described the experience as “type two fun” not always enjoyable in the moment, but deeply rewarding when you look back. “What makes it worth it is being able to bring that story home and share it with people who have a connection to the Antarctic, especially in Christchurch.”

Wells said the connection between Christchurch and Antarctica is deeply woven into the city’s culture and economy.

“I grew up in Christchurch. The Antarctic always felt close. The planes heading south took off from our backyard, basically. And when you talk to people here, everyone knows someone who has worked on the ice, a friend, a sibling, a neighbour. That link is real.”

She said Antarctica also played an under-appreciated role in the local economy. “It is not just the flights or the scientists. It is the sandwiches made for the crews, the plumbing contracts, the equipment fabricators. The Antarctic programmes feed into so many different sectors here. People would be surprised.”

Mighty Indeed premiered in Auckland several days ago to glowing reviews, with critics praising its visual beauty and emotional depth. It is now heading to Christchurch with a sold-out screening at Lumiere Cinemas and a second screening on Friday. Only a few seats remain.

“The response has been amazing,” Wells said. “But what matters most is being able to share the film with the people who helped make it happen. Our cinematographer Adam Jones is from Northland. Our scientists are based in Dunedin, Wellington and Nelson. It is a nationwide story with Christchurch at the heart.”