Chasing Ice

The joys of rural culture. Off to Ludlow again, to see another movie. there’s people my age in Wenlock who’d regard driving twenty miles to see a film as fanatical, but to me it’s part of the programme. They’ve always had a wonderful selection, but I gave up going after the fourth occasion in two years when I drove there, and they either hadn’t got the film, or it was the wrong size for the projector, or the equipment broke down (twenty minutes into Blue Valentine).

And I’m so glad I did. Chasing Ice is a wonderful documentary, about an American cameraman who had this hunch that photographs taken over a period could dramatically convey the nature and speed of climate change. It’s won all kinds of prizes, and for good reasons. There’s some stunning individual pictures, but the sustained intelligence and commitment of the whole venture is deeply impressive. This is a man who’s changed his mind, and thinks the issue is important enough to take over his life and put his health at risk. Well worth it, so far as I’m concerned. But find it, and judge for yourself.