Thursday, December 6th, 2018
Meltdown - Climate Change Film
For Icelanders their glaciers are a living embodiment of Iceland's national identity. 'Meltdown' explores the bond between this iconic landscape and a group of local glacier guides, who are now fighting to save these natural wonders from climate change extinction.
As a commercial filmmaker you come across all kinds of 'surprises' popping up during the back and forth of shooting a project. A fair few of these you could do without – the forecasted blue skies turning into a thunderstorm, or the equipment hire delivery going to "High Street" rather than the "High Road" 5 miles away from where you are patiently waiting on set! Just occasionally however those "surprises" are highly positive... something we experienced while working with Icelandic Mountain Guides.
Icelandic Mountain Guides is the leading adventure travel operator in Iceland, and have built a reputation for quality and attention to detail. When we sat down with them to look at a multi media campaign it was a pleasant surprise to find that as well as a collection of films and images promoting their business, IMG wanted something very different than the norm. In particular rather than selling their business they wanted to use this campaign to promote awareness of the challenges Icelandic wilderness is under.
Of course showcasing a companies green credentials is part of the modern travel business, but this was far more than show. IMG founders Einar and Leifur have set up their own environmental fund and to date have donated several million Icelandic krona to support local projects. Einar and Leifur see themselves as custodians of the environment, for them it's not a "business move" it's a deep passion and one we at LWimages share.
As a result we agreed that as part of the package of films we would work together on, one would focus on the plight of Iceland's glaciers which are retreating due to man made climate change. The resulting film 'Meltdown' profiles this unique beautiful landscape but also hears the thoughts and concerns of the IMG glacier guides who work daily in this fragile environment. It was evident in the knowledgeable and passionate way the guides spoke about their relationship with this landscape that the glaciers are a crucial part of Icelandic identity. As a result both for the IMG and for us Meltdown is a very personal film – and whilst the message is a potentially stark one, it is an outcome that is changeable if all us are willing to act.
Icelandic Mountain Guides is the leading adventure travel operator in Iceland, and have built a reputation for quality and attention to detail. When we sat down with them to look at a multi media campaign it was a pleasant surprise to find that as well as a collection of films and images promoting their business, IMG wanted something very different than the norm. In particular rather than selling their business they wanted to use this campaign to promote awareness of the challenges Icelandic wilderness is under.
Of course showcasing a companies green credentials is part of the modern travel business, but this was far more than show. IMG founders Einar and Leifur have set up their own environmental fund and to date have donated several million Icelandic krona to support local projects. Einar and Leifur see themselves as custodians of the environment, for them it's not a "business move" it's a deep passion and one we at LWimages share.
As a result we agreed that as part of the package of films we would work together on, one would focus on the plight of Iceland's glaciers which are retreating due to man made climate change. The resulting film 'Meltdown' profiles this unique beautiful landscape but also hears the thoughts and concerns of the IMG glacier guides who work daily in this fragile environment. It was evident in the knowledgeable and passionate way the guides spoke about their relationship with this landscape that the glaciers are a crucial part of Icelandic identity. As a result both for the IMG and for us Meltdown is a very personal film – and whilst the message is a potentially stark one, it is an outcome that is changeable if all us are willing to act.
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