Voices From the Ice

We don't ordinarily think of glaciers as having a life cycle, but they surely do: springing from the seeds of snowflakes, compacted to create moving mountains of ice which lock horns with oncoming rock, glaciers eventually melt to create a medley of lovely voices. Okay, that was a little purple--but that's the effect Dale Johnson's exquisitely filmed tribute to glaciers has on you. You come up out of your standard Barcalounger slouch, sit a little taller, and pay attention to the poetry of nature. Shot in Southeast Alaska, the film looks at life on and around glaciers. Even in a frigid, seemingly barren, environment, life does thrive: note the iceworm, a crawling creature who spends his days subjecting bare skin to a giant frozen ice cube (don't try this trick with your tongue). As the glacier retreats, and the ice melts, the ensuing spring invites the arrival of trumpeter swans, beavers, and--higher up the mountainside--doll sheep and bear. The footage of a mother bear and her sporting cubs, a romantic moose couple, and frolicking doll sheep is top-notch, as is the entire production. Viewers will get a little science, a little nature, and a wonderful half-hour watching this beautiful film. Highly recommended. (R. Pitman)