Skip to main content

Deep Dive: Chasing Ice (2012)

Film Lens

Chasing Ice
Chasing Ice is a documentary that follows nature photographer James Balog and his Extreme Ice Survey (EIS) as they document the effects of climate change. The film features Balog's expeditions to Greenland, Iceland, and Alaska, where he captures images of glaciers to convey the impact of global warming. Initially skeptical about climate change, Balog becomes convinced of its reality after witnessing the changes in the Arctic firsthand. The film includes a significant event where two EIS videographers captured a 75-minute glacier calving event at Jacobshavn Isbræ in Greenland, resulting in 7.4 cubic kilometers of ice breaking off. Balog's team faced technical issues and personal health struggles during their expeditions, but they ultimately succeeded in collecting time-lapse photographs that reveal the rapid erosion and disappearance of glaciers.

Why Watch

  • See James Balog's stunning glacier photography
  • Watch the longest glacier calving event on film
  • Find out how climate change affects glaciers

Did You Know

The film features the longest glacier calving event ever filmed at 75 minutes.
7.4 cubic kilometers of ice broke off Jacobshavn Isbræ during the event.
Chasing Ice has a 96% rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on 72 reviews.
The film won the Satellite Award for Best Documentary Film.

Perfect For

Climate change awarenessNature photographyEnvironmental science