Chasing Ice

This doc addresses climate change, pointedly through the work of a professional photographer James Balog. In recent years he has been trekking to the northern parts of the Earth to photograph glaciers. As a longtime nature photographer, he discovered the beauty of glaciers and then in later visits of the same locales, saw them receding too fast to be explained by nature.

In an effort to document glacier movement, he took it upon himself to set up cameras in different locations that would take photos long term, which he would then string together into a time lapse video.

His first effort is unsuccessful as due to a faulty computer motherboard and other issues few of his cameras have captured any photos, leading him to frustration.

Redesigning the tech components, Balog tries again. Success! His videos show dramatic change in how terrifyingly quickly the glaciers are receding. He feels that a visual medium, rather than facts and figures, will convince humans to not only acknowledge that human-influenced climate change happens, but that we must do something about it--and NOW.

Although there are some facts and experts here and there and some news clips of right wing politicos denying global warming, it is the work of Balog and his team that is the convincer. Without his passion and personal sacrifice (repeated knee surgeries, he's now 60 years old and his pigheaded and risky dedication to documenting this issue is shown in the film; personal outlays of equipment in the earlier years) this film would not have been possible. Not only are his photos and video compelling but they are also spectacularly captured vistas, and the film is visually beautiful; it must have taken several years to create, from the dates of shots we are shown (as far back as 2008, although Balog's work is older than that). He is emotionally moved by this issue, as we see in a couple scenes of the film--angry, disappointed, frustrated, almost to the point of giving up in desperation and demoralization. What nature has created in millennia, we are destroying in short years. Chunks of glaciers as big as towns break off and sink like the Titanic (although many times larger) into the ocean which is becoming warmer by the minute; even a couple degrees rise has already created this "death of glaciers."

Best seen on a big screen, this movie can also be found on DVD, along with a NOVA episode on Balog and his work.  Also hear an interview here.