*** Embargoed until 00:00 BST on 20th June 2024 ***
Press release
Young Female Artists Capture the Arctic's Fragile Beauty in New Film and Soundtrack Collaboration
Audiences can prepare to embark on an extraordinary audiovisual odyssey as filmmaker Michelle Sanders and composer Alice Boyd join forces to unveil their debut collaboration launching in time for the Summer Solstice. An exploration of the Arctic’s awe-inspiring beauty, ‘Arctic Ice: Under the Midnight Sun’ is a love letter to an ecosystem on which we all depend, and one which is rapidly disappearing.
Legendary music producer Brian Eno describes the film as “Beautiful”. Singer-songwriter Sandrayati says, “A beautiful and powerful ode to the majesty of Arctic ice” and filmmaker and biologist Tom Mustill adds, “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.”
The film and soundtrack will be released digitally on the Summer Solstice (20th June) and will premiere at London Climate Action Week 2024 at The Royal Geographical Society (24th June), The Explorers Club (27th June) and the Climate Innovation Forum at Guildhall (27th June).
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 a hauntingly evocative score by composer Alice Boyd. 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.”
Watch the film here: www.arcticicefilm.com (password: Arctic).
The website will go public on 20th June.
On 20th June, the film will be released publicly on Vimeo, YouTube and the Arctic Ice website.
The soundtrack will be released on Spotify, Apple Music and other streaming sites.
Download photos and media here.
Michelle Sanders and Alice Boyd are available for interviews, press and radio.
Please contact arctic.ice.film@gmail.com for enquiries
More information
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
Michelle Sanders
Michelle Sanders is a filmmaker focused on telling unique and compelling stories about nature, people, and the environment. Her work has taken her to the Arctic, South Pacific, Europe and North America for topics including the trade in tortoises and tigers, the emerging discussion on whether to mine the deep sea, protecting the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge from oil drilling, protecting America’s wild horse populations, and stopping development of the largest oil field proposed in the North Sea. She has directed and shot work for Fujifilm & Aquatech, National Wildlife Federation, The Turtle Conservancy, and more.
Alice Boyd
Alice Boyd is a British composer, sound artist and audio producer. Her work primarily explores our interconnectedness with the natural world, often using the voice, ambient electronic textures and novel field recording techniques, which unveil the hidden sounds of our environments. In 2023, Alice released her debut EP ‘From The Understory’, created as part of her artist residency at the Eden Project - the world’s largest indoor rainforest. Since then, her music has been featured on BBC Radio 6, BBC Introducing and BBC Radio 3’s ‘Secrets of the Scottish Rainforest’, and she has performed in botanical gardens, ancient woodlands and music venues across the UK.
Martyn Stewart
Martyn Stewart is co-founder of The Listening Planet and Biophonica. Sound recordist, acoustic ecologist and activist. From his first recording of a Eurasian blackbird as a boy, Martyn’s motivation has been singular: to use sound as a megaphone for vulnerable places and animals. For over 50 years, acoustic ecologist and sound engineer Martyn Stewart has travelled the world, recording in over 60 countries and capturing over 30,000 hours of nature sounds and soundscapes, more than 90,000 individual sounds and as many intimate stories from the natural world.
Biophonica
In partnership with The Listening Planet Foundation, Biophonica is purpose-led venture and creative imprint that specializes in creating music, films, live performances, and experiences which blend art and entertainment with advocacy for the natural world. Biophonica’s mission is to create more advocates for the natural world through the power of sound, music and creativity. Biophonica brings together the world’s leading musicians, artists, storytellers, and filmmakers to produce projects that will give the natural world a voice and galvanize support for conservation. More than 30% of proceeds produced by Biophonica are donated to The Listening Planet Foundation, a 501(c)3 charity and EarthPercent, the nonprofit organization started by Brian Eno to enable the music industry to support the climate emergency.