In two episodes, the documentary reports on a region of the world that is radically changing due to climate change and affecting the lives of people living in the Arctic. What it actually means to be at the mercy of the forces of nature in this inhospitable region, the film crew experiences and takes viewers on an adventurous journey.
In the first part, you fly at low altitude through the fascinating ice landscape of Greenland, through fjords, glaciers and the mighty ice cap to the most isolated places in the world. Arctic ice is melting. Climate change is advancing faster than in the rest of the world and is making the Arctic the center of global politics. Neighboring countries and world powers compete for influence. At the center of their interest: access to mineral resources and new transport routes, because the melting of the ice opens up new, shorter maritime routes. Is there a new conflict at the North Pole?
How do the inhabitants of the far north experience the change in their environment? The team travels across the northern United States, Canada, Greenland, Norway and Russia. You experience the magic of a magical nature, meet people who have learned to survive in an inhospitable region for centuries. But now they learn how the struggle for power and influence wakes the Arctic from its slumber. In Alaska, they encounter fishermen who have been driven from American fishing grounds near the Bering Strait by Russian warplanes and warships. The fishermen are demanding a greater military presence in the region from their own government to protect their interests.
There has long been a dispute over ownership of the waters. The Northwest Passage is international waters for the United States and Canada considers it national territory. The conflict around the Arctic could soon escalate. Because scientists are certain: in a few decades, the Arctic will be ice-free in summer. Where many worry about the impact on the global climate, others see great opportunities in terms of new trade routes, mineral resources and tourism. Russia, the United States, but also China and Canada are investing billions in the game of poker on the newly discovered Arctic.
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