India, Jan. 26 -- Filmmaker Werner Herzog has shared the backstory behind a scene from his 2007 documentary 'Encounters at the End of the World' that has resurfaced online as the widely shared "lonely penguin" or "nihilist penguin" meme.

The trend centres on an image of an Adelie penguin walking away from its colony into the barren interior of Antarctica. The clip has been widely circulated across social media platforms, with users adding captions that reflect themes of alienation, resignation and introspection. Even the White House joined the trend, posting an image featuring US President Donald Trump alongside the penguin.

The original footage comes from Herzog's documentary. In the scene, a single Adelie penguin breaks away from its ...