As the sea ice between Canada and Greenland melts, the outside world sees unprecedented opportunity. Oil and gas deposits, faster shipping routes, tourism and fishing all provide financial incentive to exploit the newly opened waters. But for more than 100,000 Inuit who live in the Arctic, on and around the frozen ocean, an entire way of life is at stake.
“The melting of the Arctic sea ice has profound consequences on all levels — from local to global and ecological to cultural” said executive producer Dr. Sala. “My hope with THE LAST ICE is to shine a light on the resilient Inuit communities who are fighting against climate change, as their livelihood and culture are threatened by the dramatically transforming Arctic.”
ABOUT DR. ENRIC SALA
National Geographic Explorer-in-Residence Dr. Enric Sala founded and leads Pristine Seas, a project that combines exploration, research and media to inspire country leaders to protect the last wild places in the ocean. To date, Pristine Seas has helped to create 22 of the largest marine reserves on the planet, covering an area of 5.8 million square kilometers — an area more than half the size of the United States. Dr. Sala has been the recipient of many awards, including 2008 World Economic Forum’s Young Global Leader, 2013 Explorers Club Lowell Thomas Award, 2013 Environmental Media Association Hero Award, 2016 Russian Geographical Society Award and 2018 Heinz Award in Public Policy. He is a fellow of the Royal Geographical Society and sits on the boards of the Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation, the National Aquarium and Global Fishing Watch. He is also an advisor to the World Bank and other international organizations and governments.
This documentary features the work of National Geographic’s Explorer In Residence, Dr. Enric Sala and National Geographic Direct
ABOUT SCOTT RESSLER
In Scott Ressler’s first feature-length documentary THE LAST ICE, we are introduced to two young Inuit who are fighting for their survival in the face of climate change. Ressler is no stranger to environmental stories and causes, having worked as a producer, director, cameraman and editor for the National Geographic Society for over a decade. He has created multiple documentaries on ocean conservation as a documentary producer for Pristine Seas, a project that was launched in 2008 to explore and help save the last wild places in the ocean.
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National Geographic Documentary Films is committed to bringing the world premium, feature documentaries that cover timely, provocative and globally relevant stories from the very best documentary filmmakers in the world. National Geographic Documentary Films is a division of National Geographic Partners, a joint venture between Disney and the National Geographic Society. Furthering knowledge and understanding of our world has been the core purpose of National Geographic for 132 years, and now we are committed to going deeper, pushing boundaries, going further for our consumers … and reaching millions of people around the world in 172 countries and 43 languages every month as we do it. NGP returns 27% of our proceeds to the nonprofit National Geographic Society to fund work in the areas of science, exploration, conservation and education. For more information visit natgeotv.com or national
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