2024 Polar Film Festival
Filmmaker Mini-Blogs
Read insights from PFF Selected Filmmakers about their work, the filmmaking process, and film as a way to teach, inspire, and expand our understanding of the Polar and Alpine regions.
​Helena Valenzuela-Astudillo
Film director
Founder - Criosféricas
Photo Credit: Criosfericas
The idea of ​​making 'Paños de Agua Azul' was born from a spontaneous conversation with Marcela about our trip to the El Morado Glacier in Chile. Feeling her enthusiasm for the trip to this very special place and for what would be her first time near a glacier, led me to want to capture that energy and share it with others. The connection with nature and the excitement of embarking on this project without much planning were fundamental elements to bring this film to life.
As I progressed in the production, my motivation intensified. I wanted to capture the magic of Marcela's creative process, her ability to transform organic materials into works of art that breathed the essence of glaciers. I felt more and more connected to her project and to the importance of making known this very original way of interpreting the nature and beauty of glaciers.
I believe that films have the power to transport us to other worlds and make us feel intense emotions. Through images, sounds and narrations, we can connect with stories and experiences that would otherwise be inaccessible. In 'Paños de Agua Azul', we seek to create that intimate connection between the viewer and the world of glaciers, inviting them to reflect on the importance of the convergence between art and science, contributing to understanding or inspiring us about their existence, the beauty of their colors, structures and shapes.
Cinema is also an invaluable tool to bring people closer to remote and little-known places, such as the polar and alpine regions, and in this specific case, the glaciers found there. By presenting these areas in a visually appealing and emotionally moving way, we can raise awareness about the challenges these ecosystems face and the importance of knowing them. 'Paños de Agua Azul' seeks to contribute to this effort, showing the beauty and fragility of glaciers and fostering greater interest and knowledge about them, and additionally, how we can see them from different perspectives, such as art and crafts.
Sullivan Fouquin
​
Photo Credit: Sullivan Fouquin
This "Taught By The Glaciers" documentary was made during the AGF212 spring course at UNIS earlier this year and was originally meant to document how we students learnt how to deal with fieldwork in the Arctic.
I however went into the process of documenting without being prepared and not knowing what to expect, which made the whole documenting process difficult yet very formative. It was very challenging to be able to conduct fieldwork and help the groups with their experiments while also trying to document what everyone was doing ; especially considering the conditions we had on the glacier ! But the hardest part of making this documentary was the storytelling and trying to link all the elements together to make a satisfying and interesting film to watch.
The process of documenting our fieldwork was then very tedious and required way too much time for a student ; but at the same time it was very fun to do and the result is definitely worth the time spent into it. Plus it also holds many sherished memories for the whole group and myself ! I therefore heavily encourage any scientist to find a way to document their research, especially any field experiments to spice up the science a little bit !
This is a film of students, made by students, for students and people interested in knowing what polar science can look like : as such its scientific interest is very little. But that's not its goal. Its goal is mostly to convey our interest and passion we have for the Arctic ; so I hope that you will see this film the same way as how we saw Svalbard ; and maybe even motivate you to follow our steps and join the polar research !
Mark Goldner
​
Our research team at Ny Ålesund, Svalbard, Norway in July 2021. From Right: Science Educator Mark Goldner (Roland Hayes School, Brookline MA), Dr. Julie Brigham-Grette (UMass Amherst), Kelly McKeon (PhD student at Wood’s Hole Oceanographic Institute), Xander Kirshen (Masters’ Degree student at Colorado School of Mines)
In the summer of 2021 I joined geoscientist Dr. Julie Brigham-Grette (of the University of Massachusetts at Amherst) on a research expedition to Kongsfjord near Ny Ålesund, Svalbard, Norway, where she was studying the dynamics of glacial systems there. During this expedition I served as a drone operator where I collected hours of video footage of the glacier faces and surrounding glacial features.
As a middle school science teacher, I am an unlikely entry into this film festival. But throughout my career I’ve been incredibly fortunate to have been involved in field research and with several polar experiences. Dr. Brigham-Grette and I formed our close partnership starting in 2011, when I joined her on an expedition to the same study site through PolarTREC (along with Dr. Ross Powell of Northern Illinois University).
Dr. Brigham-Grette encouraged me to turn our mountain of drone video footage into a series of educational videos about glaciers for all levels, and, in particular, to make a strong connection between the glacial landscapes we see in New England and the glaciers of the Arctic. This summer I created five videos, two of which have been entered into the Polar Film Festival. To be honest, this is really my first foray into video production. I learned how challenging and painstaking video production can be - but also how rewarding the results are.
Through these videos, we aim to educate audiences about the beauty and power of glaciers but also to make connections between these far away systems. These connections include understanding how the landscape of much of Northern North America was sculpted by glaciers during the recent Ice Ages, and realizing that our actions with regard to greenhouse gas emissions is and will continue to affect the health of glacier systems that impact societies around the globe.
Understanding what is happening to the Earth’s cryosphere is essential as we face the impending consequences of our climate crisis. Glaciers are critically important to the freshwater supplies of millions of people in places like India and California, the South American Andes, and they are also important for soil health. Glaciers are the water towers of many nations that rely on them for their annual water supplies. Further, glaciers are key pieces of many ecosystems, particularly in tidewater regions like Alaska and Greenland.
Learning about glaciers is fascinating - they can be breathtakingly beautiful and awe-inspiring! Anyone who has witnessed icebergs calving off a glacier face can attest to this. But for most people living in lower latitudes and lower elevations, who have never seen a glacier up close, glaciers remain an abstraction. Hopefully our videos will help make these vital and dynamic systems seem more real and relevant to viewers.
Yashika Subba
​
In search of stories, 3500 mts. above.
In the making of Sherpas Amidst the Mist
In the spring of 2022, my peers and I embarked on a trek to Srikhola, a small hamlet located approx. 60 kilometres from Darjeeling town, India. The journey involved hours of uphill hiking through scenic routes where mules still carry supplies to the homes nestled along the higher reaches. The Siri spring murmurs its way to meet the Rammam river a few hundred feet below, where a bridge sits. Many Tibetan prayer flags flutter in the frigid air of the Sirikhola Bridge as we stand on the opposite side of the brink, ready to begin the steep climb uphill.
Sherpas are the indigenous community of the Himalayan region with their longstanding relationship with the mountains and its ecosystem. During my postgraduate fieldwork on Sherpa food culture, I happen to come across the last yak herding family around the Indo-Nepal border living in Srikhola, Darjeeling, India. For them, yak herding is more than a livelihood; it is an intergenerational expression of culture, emotion and has defined their relationship with the land for centuries.
With an opportunity to document this as part of a project ‘Interdisciplinary Curricula on Indigenous and Tribal People’s Studies’ under the University of Lapland (Finland), Arctic Centre this documentary is produced in collaboration with students of Sikkim University (India).
As a social science researcher intrigued to broaden the ongoing global attention on climate change and the mountain communities in the Himalayas, the visual medium has emerged as a vital tool for me to explore and communicate the human stories embedded in landscapes and cultures. This fosters my connection to the Himalayan region, where I was born and raised, and has always fuelled my curiosity about the intersection of environment, tradition, and livelihoods. Working on Sherpas Amidst the Mist (which is our first project on videography-documenting), I learnt immensely throughout this journey, which allowed me to explore how film can give voice to communities that are rarely heard on mainstream platforms. It also pushed me as a researcher to think about the responsibility that comes with documenting these lives. This was made possible by the dedication and expertise of our incredible team of director, cinematographers, editors, and project teammates—who played vital roles. I’ve learnt from them how filmmaking is more than an art; it’s a medium for cultural preservation, advocacy, and education. It has the power to move people, not just through what they see but through the emotions and thoughts that linger long after the film ends.
Which is why I believe it’s such a valuable tool, particularly for regions like the Himalayas, the Polar areas, where the stories are as vast and complex as the landscapes themselves.
Michael Booth
​
Photo Credit: Lewis Pugh Foundation / K. Trautman
Beyond the Swim
​
I met Lewis for the first time back in 2016. At the time, I was heading the Multimedia Unit at the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and Lewis was our Patron of the Oceans. Our first ‘UN Mission’ together was a quick trip to Mumbai, India where we would meet lawyer-turned-environmentalist Afroz Shah who had almost single-handedly kickstarted the largest beach clean-up in the world.
​
That was the first time I witnessed what I call Lewis’ human potential radar or “HPR”. The acute sense he has to find, inspire, and team up with talented individuals has worked its magic and has led Lewis to astonishing swims and environmental campaigns, inspiring millions but also achieving remarkable diplomatic wins for the world’s oceans.
As we know too well, science can be a hard sell for the masses, especially in this social media / Instagram-reel era. Lewis’ swims offer captivating and stark images, it is entertaining, and it stimulates an emotional response. Once the door opens, the science can spill through.
​
Lewis first burst into the scene with his North Pole swim in 2007. In his TED talks that followed he reminded everyone he shouldn’t be able to find swimmable, open water at the North Pole and that climate change had become an existential threat to life on earth.
​
Close to 20 years later, Lewis has swum in every sea and ocean, always calling for marine protected areas, for the protection of biodiversity and action against pollution.
​
In early 2020, I got a call from him excited with his latest expedition: a swim in one of the underwater rivers that were forming by the melting of the icesheet in East Antarctica.
​
I quickly jumped on the plane bound for Antarctica. The goal of "On the Edge” was to show how far Lewis will go to draw the world's attention to the environmental crisis.
​
When asked why he swims with just a Speedo and goggles his reply has always been the same. “Because if I’m asking world leaders to be courageous, I must also be courageous.” He fully recognizes that world diplomats must deal with multiple crises. Devastating wars, economic downturns, pandemics, yes, they are all important, but he insists leaders must also have the courage to address the Climate Crisis.
​
Whenever he is called ‘crazy’ for risking his life during the frigid swims, he counters “I’m not crazy, what is truly crazy is just sitting around and acting like nothing is happening.”
​
Lewis is the real deal, no showboating, no stunts, he is 'just' a normal human being that pushes his body right to the edge by using the power of his mind.
​
As the saying goes “it takes a village” and that sixth sense “HPR” that Lewis possesses has enabled him to keep swimming for now over 35 years. He keeps pushing the boundaries of mind and body, with his trusted team of committed individuals that make up the Lewis Pugh Foundation, an elite fighting force for nature.
Kitrea Takata-Glushkoff
Photo Credit: Kitrea Takata-Glushkoff
I am a Japanese-Russian-American geoscientist and dancer. After received my BA in Earth & Oceanographic Science and Russian at Bowdoin College, I attended Irkutsk State University, not far from Lake Baikal. Now as a geoscience graduate student at the University of Alaska Fairbanks Geophysical Institute, I pursue Arctic sea ice research that emphasizes knowledge coproduction, interdisciplinary collaboration, and cross-cultural communication. I’ve also trained in ballet and modern dance, and choreographed several multimedia performance dance pieces.
In each environment that I scientifically immerse myself in, I strengthen my relationship with that land and the people who live with it through dance. Sharing cultural dances has been a critical relationship-building component of my scientific research. Through site-specific (ie place-based) improvisational dance I also embody that dynamic environment– whether on a flowing glacier in Alaska, on the frozen Beaufort Sea, in the rolling waves of the Bering Sea, or in this case, on frozen Lake Baikal.
Lake Baikal moves us.
​
Baikal evokes a powerful feeling that Buryats, Russians, and others have conveyed in their art, literature, spirituality, and science for thousands of years. In the heart of Siberia, the world’s oldest, deepest lake is an active continental rift zone, home to over 2000 endemic species. The 25+ million-year-old lake continues to grow each year, but has recently experienced rapid change, as its surface temperature has increased 1.5°C in 50 years.
With earth’s daily rotations, Baikal’s ice groans and creaks, expanding, as it greets the warmth of the sun at dawn, then compressing its ice floes each evening. That dynamic soundscape and the physical events they are born from evoke a feeling that Takata-Glushkoff embodies through place-based improvisational dance. Dancing creates the opportunity to observe and honor Baikal’s shapes, textures, and contours along with its symphony of reverberating tones.
Within this dance, some movements are literal: jagged gestures mirroring the sharp contours of the rocks, or cyclical arm swings embodying the blowing wind. Other movements reflect the story – how Baikal initially appears still and calm, yet dynamically sustains life through the water column 1600 meters beneath its frozen crust. Most importantly, Baikal and I create the dance together – as it paints the melody, infusing my movements with its feelings. Baikal moves us.
This short film debuted in May, 2024 as part of the Frozen Matters: Arctic Storyworlds exhibition at the Arctic Congress (Bodø, Norway).
​
The USAPECS Polar Film Festival is the first virtual presentation of the film.
Video Credits
Artist: Kitrea Mai Pacifica Takata-Glushkoff
Editing: Lars Hanson
Filming: Dinara Matina, Irene Fernald