Melt::
Polar Ice Pack
Recently it was determined that the "strongest" area of Arctic sea ice, which had previously never broken up, had finally melted and broken apart for the first time in recorded history. The melting of polar ice has a far-reaching impact - from determining shipping lanes and possibly shifting migration and hunting patterns of animals and humans who inhabit these regions. The films below highlight the challenges associated with the melting of polar ices.
The films
Ice Alive
Medium-length film (20:01), general audience
Joseph Cook is taking a closer look at the microbial life that can be found all over the planet's glaciers and ice sheets. It is increasingly clear that this rich ecosystem affects the melt rates of polar ice and snow and could be accelerating climate change. Narrated by Jim Al-Khalili and starring Chris Hadfield.
Inuit Belief
Short film (14:42), general audience
A film detailing Inuit hunting and fishing practices in a context of climate change
Counting Eskimo Words for Snow
Short film (13:43), general audience
Counting Eskimo Words for Snow is a collaboration between composer Anthony Fiumara, cameraman Ruben Kocx, pianist Ralph van Raat, and collaborating scientist Peter Kuipers Munneke. The piece features modern piano music and footage collected during two expeditions to Svalbard undertaken by Dutch scientists in 2015 and 2017.
This live version of Counting Eskimo Words for Snow was specially written for a concert program of pianist Ralph van Raat and polar meteorologist Peter Kuipers Munneke. Munneke took the images for this movie during his visits to Spitsbergen.
Arctic Food Web
Short film (4:28), general audience
Please see this website for the video embedded partway down the page: http://www.aoa.education/en/thematique/4
The Arctic food web is simple yet specialized. Storing fat is the meaning of life in the Arctic. This short film reveals the delicate balance of the Arctic food web.