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Overlooked & Underrated Docs & Features
(click on broll or dschwartz for all his posts)
Chasing Ice: James Balog and His Extreme Ice Survey
Directed by Jeff Orlowski, "Chasing Ice" is the best-produced and most important environmental documentary since Al Gore's "An Inconvenient Truth". Orlowski tells two stories here: The life and work of celebrated photographer James Balog and the melting of our Earth caused by massive, man-made carbon dioxide emissions.
Initially a global warming skeptic, Balog brought his finely-honed photographic skills to bear as he created the Extreme Ice Survey (http://extremeicesurvey.org/), a project which is documenting the melting of ice across our planet. Balog's images are as jaw-dropping as are the courage he epitomizes and sacrifices he makes capturing beatific, tragic images of ice and its melting. Orlowski's cinematic skills mirror Balog's skills, courage and indomitable spirit, as he covers Balog's work in treacherous circumstances.
The film's publicity includes a statement by Robert Redford: "You've never seen images like this before... It deserves to be seen and felt on the big screen."
I was touched by the film's publicist at my first contact with him when he implored me to go to my local art house which is still playing the film. I whole-heartedly agree with the sentiment, I responded, but I watch screeners at home so that I may replay portions of a film, or perhaps the entire film for review. In any case, I pass on the suggestion to you. If you can get yourself to a theater showing "Chasing Ice" (http://www.chasingice.com/), please do so. And bring some oxygen with you because the images and vistas are absolutely breath-taking.