Chasing Ice (film screening) 9/16/2013
Chasing Ice, an environmental awareness documentary was screened for Elon students by the National Geographic Channel. The movie followed photographer James Balog, originally a climate change skeptic, through his efforts to transform the world's view on climate change. The film chronicled the journey of Balog's photography team as they planted time-lapse cameras in the Arctic.
Photography is a hobby of mine, so I particularly enjoyed this documentary. I think often visual elements make written or oral arguments more compelling, so in this sense I think the film was extremely successful. Even skeptics would have a hard time disputing climate change after viewing Balog's photographs which captured multi-year time-lapse photographs of rapidly melting glaciers in the Arctic.
The technology required for this kind of experiment was intriguing. Skilled engineers were hired to build solar panels to power the cameras, and countless protective gear had to be developed to protect the cameras from frigid Arctic winters and wind. I especially appreciated the fact that the documentary showed us the many failed attempts of the engineers, because I think this is a concept that applies to any discipline. Perseverance is key, and even if you are not successful the first time, it is important to not give up until you reach your goal.
Though Balog and his team struggled at first, his final project was a hauntingly beautiful depiction of the Earth's changing climate. Because of my appreciation of photography, I think the movie had an even more profound impact on me. Time lapse photographs showed the glaciers rapidly melting due to climate change, and when looking at the before/after pictures, it would be almost impossible to claim that climate change is not real. Not only did Balog's photographs do a good job proving that climate change is real, but they were also beautifully composed photographs, making them more appealing to the viewer.
The only aspect of the film that I disliked was that it did not present enough hope for the future. While it did an excellent job educating viewers and depicting the reality of climate change, I left the viewing feeling disheartened. In my opinion, there was not an adequate call to action. While I will definitely share the documentary with family and friends to help spread awareness of climate change, I wish the documentary had presented me with more impactful ways to join the cause.
Photography is a hobby of mine, so I particularly enjoyed this documentary. I think often visual elements make written or oral arguments more compelling, so in this sense I think the film was extremely successful. Even skeptics would have a hard time disputing climate change after viewing Balog's photographs which captured multi-year time-lapse photographs of rapidly melting glaciers in the Arctic.
The technology required for this kind of experiment was intriguing. Skilled engineers were hired to build solar panels to power the cameras, and countless protective gear had to be developed to protect the cameras from frigid Arctic winters and wind. I especially appreciated the fact that the documentary showed us the many failed attempts of the engineers, because I think this is a concept that applies to any discipline. Perseverance is key, and even if you are not successful the first time, it is important to not give up until you reach your goal.
Though Balog and his team struggled at first, his final project was a hauntingly beautiful depiction of the Earth's changing climate. Because of my appreciation of photography, I think the movie had an even more profound impact on me. Time lapse photographs showed the glaciers rapidly melting due to climate change, and when looking at the before/after pictures, it would be almost impossible to claim that climate change is not real. Not only did Balog's photographs do a good job proving that climate change is real, but they were also beautifully composed photographs, making them more appealing to the viewer.
The only aspect of the film that I disliked was that it did not present enough hope for the future. While it did an excellent job educating viewers and depicting the reality of climate change, I left the viewing feeling disheartened. In my opinion, there was not an adequate call to action. While I will definitely share the documentary with family and friends to help spread awareness of climate change, I wish the documentary had presented me with more impactful ways to join the cause.
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