Arctic Ice: Under The Midnight Sun
2024 | Composer
Arctic Ice: Under The Midnight Sun is a collaboration between filmmaker Michelle Sanders and composer Alice Boyd. An audiovisual exploration of the beauty of Arctic ice – and the perils it faces – the film is a love letter to an ecosystem on which we all depend, one which is rapidly disappearing.
“Beautiful”
“A beautiful and powerful ode to the majesty of Arctic ice”
“Mesmerising, unnerving and playful. An intriguing and beautiful film that lets you have your own thoughts and changes you a little in the tiny time you watch it. So full of textures I wanted to reach out and touch it. I love this film.”
Photo by Trevor Wallace
Drawing from her immersive experience during an expedition with the Explorers Club and Adventure Canada, Michelle Sanders captures the mesmerising allure of Arctic sea ice in stunning detail. Filmed in collaboration with Fujifilm, Sanders weaves a masterful blend of intimate macro shots and sweeping vistas, inviting viewers into the majesty of this frozen realm and the diverse creatures that call it home. The film delicately balances the celebration of natural splendour with a sobering reflection on the urgent need for action in the face of this existential crisis.
“This film is inspired by a report that states we could see Arctic summer sea ice disappear by the 2030s,” explains Sanders. “Being in the Arctic and witnessing for myself both the beauty, but also the underlying precarity, brought the urgency of the issue home to me in a profound way.”
Complementing Sanders’ visuals is Alice Boyd’s score. Infusing mournful harmonies sung by Boyd and a female and non-binary ensemble, with icy ambient strings and ethereal soundscapes, her music serves a reflection of the Arctic’s vastness and fragility.
Boyd collaborates with label Biophonica to incorporate Arctic field recordings by renowned sound recordist and lifelong activist Martyn Stewart. Stewart has a personal connection to the Arctic Wildlife Refuge, having recorded there many times over his career. The recordings here were captured during a 14 day trip in 2005 to the Arctic Wildlife Refuge – from the coastal plane to Brooks Range.
“It was an honour to weave Martyn’s Arctic field recordings into my soundtrack,” shares Boyd. “In ten years’ time – if the summer ice continues to disappear at this rate – these sounds will not exist anymore. The recordings act as a time capsule, grounding the music in the sonic richness of this ecosystem and the sobering reality of its future.”
Photo by Michelle Sanders
Credits
Film by Michelle Sanders
Music by Alice Boyd
Arctic field recordings by Biophonica in support of The Listening Planet
Vocalists - Alice Boyd, Daisy Russell, Emily Izen Row, Issa, XATIVA, Zha Gandhi
Violinist - Tom Penn
Mastering Engineer - Alan Douches
Drone Operator - Trevor Wallace
Graphic Designer - Josie Tucker
With thanks to Rebel Berggren, James Fulcher, Amanda Hill, Tim Keeling, Stefan Kindberg, Jinny Lyon, Tom Mustill, Milbry Polk, Kaleigh Potts, Varina Shaughnessy, Martyn Stewart, Nicole Vollebregt
In partnership with Fujifilm, Biophonica, The Listening Planet, Adventure Canada, The Explorers Club
This project was filmed within Inuit Nunaat territories