Educational Media Reviews Online

To find out more about the origins of life, and the possibility of life on other planets, a varied team of scientists travelled to the Dallol region of Ethiopia. This volcanic area has extreme conditions which may uniquely model the conditions on Earth when life originated. The region has been little studied, and remains inhospitable and even dangerous. The scientists made the most of the opportunity, examining the geology, chemistry, and biology of this bubbling, colorful, sulfurous area. The film’s focus is on the gathering of the data, not the findings, but we are told that back home their samples revealed microbes never before discovered.

At times we simply see footage of the bubbling pools, the black lake, or other bizarre features and geologic activity, but the area is so visually stunning that it’s warranted. Besides teaching about this particular area, the film shows prospective scientists how interesting their fieldwork could turn out to be.