On Thin Ice

Climate change has reached the Nenets of northern Siberia. Reindeer herds trek across thinning sea ice as warming in the Russian Arctic becomes increasingly evident. Thawing permafrost cracks open vast craters, exposing dangerous viruses and bacteria. Forest floors dry out and the taiga is set ablaze. Coastal pack ice is melting, depriving polar bears of habitat and driving them to human settlements in their desperation. The transformations in Arctic nature, coupled with measurements by scientists and the lived observations of indigenous communities, form a disturbing picture: Pandora's box has been opened in the Russian Arctic. The documentary crew was granted access to regions long restricted for decades. Through impressive and sometimes somber imagery, the film reveals existing effects, phenomena, and the ominous interconnections of global warming.