Viff ‘08: The Ark: Ice People
6 October 2008
Well, how can I say this? This is one bad movie. Not bad as in good, not not bad as in okay, I’m talking sleeper! When I was trying to get through it, alone on an island, I suddenly found myself screaming out loud, “BORING.” Really. True Story.
So why did I find it boring? Well, it’s a film about scientists and their support people doing science and support work. Yes, it is set in Antartica and yes, the scenery is stunning at times. But if not watching this film means never seeing what Antartica looks like, let’s just say there’ll be lots of other opportunities to see rocks and ice on screen.
When the “ice people” (most, if not all, are Americans) talk there’s certainly some insight to glean from why they are there as well as from their US-centric comparison of how amazing it is to be there.
But I couldn’t help thinking about how mislead these people are. Under the guise of research, they are “discovering” a part of the planet that humans really need not be. Sure, there are conventions in place to prevent the exploitation of the area, but guess how useful those conventions will be when oil or something else of economic worth is found? About as useful as all the treaties the American (and Canadian) government signed with the people that have always lived in North America.
Another thought in my mind (which was starved for stimulus) while watching this film is how wonderful a job it did to show how “Science” is the (not-so) new Theology. Science will save us. Science will allow us to understand the world. Just don’t notice how dependent Science is on unsustainable practices. Now substitute the name of any religion for Science and see how those sentences read…
If you’re interested in snow, ice and cold, I suggest seeing Belonging or the soon-to-be-reviewed Passages.
Scientists and insomniacs, click here for more information and tickets.
Aside to Viff curators: putting films like this in the “environmental” genre just reinforces the negative stereotype…maybe start a new genre called “Science” so it can reinforce that stereotype honourably…
