“My name is Claude Lorius and I shall be forever 23”.
Ice and the Sky, directed by Luc Jacquet and follows the life of the man who behind that statement on his lifelong journey that encompasses an epic love affair with the Antarctic and a mission to prove that human infringement on nature has detrimental and irreversible effects on the climate. The film opens with Claude Lorius embarking on his first ever mission to the Antarctic when he was just 23 in 1956. Now 82, he recalls his Antarctic adventures. He takes the audience through his discoveries, analysing ice that is buried deep within the Antarctic pole. From this he was able to tell and more importantly, prove that climate change was happening as the effect of man-made activities.
He says sadly, “Man is changing the rules of the game, changing the blueprint of the climate.”
The film’s highlights are for us, the reams and reams of real footage that came from Lorius’ journeys to the Antarctic. From his first meeting with penguins (where his colleagues offer a penguin a cigarette!) to his frustrations at the architect of a data collection tower. As the film progresses, the audience is taken through the same journey that Lorius took. The audience is able then to come to the same conclusion that Lorius made all those years ago. The data does not lie, and the science is clear, man-made climate change is happening.
The proof is in all the ice as we watch Lorius excavate, in the trips he makes at the height of the Cold War, with Russian scientists. They did not go looking for climate change, they went looking for the Story of the Antarctic but that is what they found.
The last 20 minutes of the film show an increasingly despaired man trying to warn the world of the dangers that are to come. The warnings he heads come eerily close to what has been going on at COP21 in Paris recently and he states at a similar conference: – “Words pour forth and treaties accumulate and yet with every passing day the predicted scenario continues to take shape.” It also gives us the sense of urgency in the face of what must be one of human existence’s most imminent dangers. Lorius, is one man who knows better than most of us what it’s like when that sense of urgency is not felt by others around him. One of the most poignant and heartbreaking scenes in the film is when he looks to his beloved Antarctic (which is now melting) and says: –
“I sometimes fight the feeling of having served no purpose.”
This film also lends a more human element to the science behind climate change. Travelling through a man’s lifetime love of the Antarctic, 22 trips taken, approximately 10 years of his life. It draws the audience in from the beginning and we start to feel the same things that Lorius has felt throughout his lifetime. Even though the end of the film feels a bit rushed, we leave also feeling as though we are named Claude Lorius and shall be forever 23. We also leave feeling hopeful that perhaps, by heeding his warnings, the story of ice shall live on.
Ice and The Sky premieres worldwide on 11th December 2015.
This review is by Adrienne Paul-Hus and Shakila Rajendra, students of Msc Global Energy & Climate Policy at the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London.
| Photography by: Eskwad, Sarah Del Ben and Marc Perrey | Website: Ice and The Sky |
This is such a meaningful film. More documentary films like this should be made and promoted. It’s a pity what mankind is doing to nature
Good one Sha. It does seem like most of the time all our effort is put to waste by people who don’t seem to want to do anything about it. I honestly don’t think its ever that simple, and we can just do what we can to help humanity in the long run. As corny as it sounds, the only way we can change the world is if we start by our everyday actions. 🙂
shakila is writing? cool write up!
Yeah, Shakila is the editor of the blog, although she wrote this review. 🙂
Sounds good!!! just finish watching the trailer!!
A meaningful film!
We all should focus more on the preservation of the environment.
Looks like it’s a great one… Environmental friendly film!~
Nanti I tengok this story.. last night just watched the everest I can feel the cool sensation..
Good documentary. Mother nature can only rely on documentors like them to help tell her tales and get humans to stop destroying the home we call earth.
Now after read your post feel want to watch this movie. =)
It’s really heartbreaking to see how humans negatively affect nature. Have you seen the picture of a floating polar bear on a small piece of ice, hoping to find land? The leaders of the world are not doing enough
seems like a very good story line there 🙂 love the adventure that tells us different meanings in life
This is so inspiring and should create more awareness for our environment issues. I love the article and documentaries.
Oh wow… amazing… This one should be seen by everyone…I can’t wait to watch it…
the story is quite interesting ler. I am intrigued by your “human infringement on nature has detrimental and irreversible effects on the climate” because I always believe that our action will affect the environment, hence , be good to our mother natural.
It’s been a while since I caught a movie. This one looks like what I should watch, if nothing else.
Yes, climate change is real but people still ignoring it because the impact is not immediate. Human kind will pay back for their take for granted attitude one day.
Such Inspiring movie introduce you have write here =D Hope I can watch this movie too! It was really important to save our earth and animal that are face with world crisis.
wow! very good story line, worth a watch 🙂 definitely not gonna miss this movie! cheers, siennylovesdrawing
Hey Sha! Thank you so much for this review. I especially liked that you mentioned the film “lends a more human element to the science behind climate change.” I think the success of a film really lies in its ability to engage with its audience. And the fact that the film was able to incorporate climate change is commendable, as it is currently a very pertinent issue. Will definitely catch it in the cinema soon.
Nice trailer, I love this kind of movie’s genre, meaningful drama for the love of nature 🙂
What an interesting film. I love watching this kind of insightful videos that has more to it than meets the eye.
Sounds like a meaningful film. reading you post made me want to watch.
not my type of movie. but hey, it’s meaningful and nice.
Wow… Deep… Very very deep… Am gonna look out for this show. Very deep & meaningful