Between 2015 and 2024, Leonard Alecu filmed the melting icebergs off Greenland’s East coast. Sailing dangerously close to icebergs, Alecu handled his camera to record the ice masses yielding to the ruthless ocean. Filmed in black and white, Ice Breath is a cinematic poem whose only elusive actor is the filmmaker’s gaze. In 43 minutes, a sequence of flat pictures turn into dynamic tableaux, an existential journey from genesis to extinction. The hypnotic feature of the film is enhanced by the soundtrack Become Ocean, a haunting composition by John Luther Adams suggestive of a relentless tidal surge, of melting polar ice and rising sea levels. Become Ocean received critical acclaim, earning the 2014 Pulitzer Prize for Music and the 2015 Grammy for Best Classical Contemporary Composition. More than an environmental documentary, Ice Breath and Become Ocean is an experimental fusion exploring the vast, inscrutable meanings of climate change.

Review by Andie Karvelis:

On Greenland’s east coast from 2019 to 2024 Leonard Alecu lived on a sailing ship filming the ice caps in the area. With the help of an intrepid inuit sailing crew, Leonard was able to capture the most breathtaking footage ever seen. Upon first glance, the detail and texture that he captured in the ice caps almost seemed like it was computer generated with artificial intelligence. It wasn’t! It was all gloriously real and I am sure it was an exceedingly dangerous journey to get that close to these majestic ice caps.

The clarity and depth he achieved with the black and white cinematography was incredibly impressive, as was the sheer size of the ice caps against the ocean. There is no voice over to distract you from the beauty you are witnessing in each frame, only the film’s soundtrack to guide your senses.

The musical score was written as a separate piece called Become Ocean by John Luther Adams. Even though it was not written for this film, it complimented it beautifully. The fading dissonance in the score gave the music depth as it seamlessly transitioned from one musical segment to another. In some areas it was light and ethereal and others it was hauntingly melancholy. Leonard Alecu’s choice to use this particular score was a definite triumph.