THE FILM

A feature documentary calling forth the beauty, grandeur and fragility of the alpine landscape, making the threat tangible and highlighting the real possibility of permanent loss.

The storyline links epic alpine adventure with grave concern for the impact of the climate emergency on the Icefield, inspiring action in the communities surrounding the Icefield and along its watershed river systems.

Every epic in human history is a story of authentic painful struggle. A well-told story of such a struggle ignites powerful emotions, the emotions that move people to action.

The closing sequence is a clarion call to action that highlights and celebrates emerging self-organizing grassroots movements that act in practical and locally driven ways to make a difference for their communities, the Icefield and the planet.

THE EXHIBITION

The exhibition will include large-scale photographs, accompanying text and audio narration, mounted in a facility in the Icefield region and capable of touring galleries and exhibition venues across the continent and abroad. We foresee other elements – music, sound, sculpture, spoken word prose and poetry – that will enrich the experience.

In keeping with the title of the exhibition, portraits of the twelve peaks we are calling the Guardians of the Ice will be featured. The exhibition will be accompanied by short outtakes from the film in locations where the full film will not be simultaneously screened.

The apparently pure representation of photography can be employed to undermine the very conviction that what we are seeing in an image is perfectly congruent with the reality it purports to represent, introducing a powerful element of uncertainty into our assumptions about the natural world. This lays an effective groundwork for meaningful change.

THE BOOK

A beautiful high-production-value take-home document carrying the wealth of images, messages and narratives coming out of the project, including the scientific research of Alison Criscitiello PhD and others. The powerful visual components will be supported by transcriptions of elements of the film’s narration, along with stories of ordinary people and organizations taking positive constructive action and reducing their carbon footprint.

The book will take readers on a journey across the Icefield and through the skein of narratives that emerge from our collective observations and responses.

EDUCATION – Alberta Tomorrow

Our activities in the Icefield have created an opportunity for a rich portfolio of educational resources and impacts in the school system. These educational opportunities speak most strongly to our vision for the future.

Alberta Tomorrow provides a leading-edge digital simulator for teachers and students across the province (and soon across Canada), allowing them to see and interact with the effects of land use activities on the environment. GOTI content is now included in the Climate Change modules of the simulator.

This year we presented an online webinar for students across Alberta and beyond. We made a video recording of the event for those who were unable to participate, which is being used in classrooms across the province. It can be found here:  https://guardiansoftheice.com/events/.

We are planning more events like this in a continuing partnership with Alberta Tomorrow in the coming year.

Multiple video and photographic assets produced by the Guardians of the Ice crew have been deployed on the Climate Change pages of Alberta Tomorrow’s website.

Alberta Tomorrow, will continue to develop lesson plans and interactive classroom activities for schools using audiovisual resources developed during the filming and interview portions of the project.

Alberta Tomorrow Website:  https://albertatomorrow.ca/