A multi-award-winning Irish documentary examining the impact of climate change on Greenland's indigenous community is set to air on RTÉ One later this month.
A Greenland Story, co-directed and independently produced by Sligo filmmaker Vincent Monahan and Marieke Lexmond, takes audiences on a journey to remote villages in the Arctic Circle, providing a fascinating insight into Inuit culture at a time of extreme cultural, technological and environmental change.
Sailing aboard the 'Killary Flyer’, Galway sailor Jamie Young’s 50ft yacht, the crew visit towns and villages along Greenland’s west coast, interviewing an array of local figures, including hunters, fishermen, high-school students, native artists, a marine biologist and even Greenland’s Minister for Finance and Resources, Vittus Qujaukitsoq.
With no roads connecting its villages and a miniscule budget, the crew lived aboard the ship for three months during filming in 2019, sailing in near 24-hour daylight through icy waters to capture stunning scenes of towering icebergs and encounters with cresting humpback whales.
Greenland is a country at the forefront of climate change. Its ice sheet covers 80% of the island and, if melted completely, contains enough water to raise global sea levels by more than seven metres.
Meanwhile, Arctic temperatures continue to rise at twice the global average, presenting an existential problem for humanity.
A Greenland Story has won a raft of international awards, including Best Environmental Film at the Montreal and Vancouver Independent Film Festivals, and Best Feature Documentary at the London Independent Film Awards.
Vincent and Marieke also shared the Best First-Time Director Award at the same event, where Vincent, too, collected Best Editor.
A Greenland Story is due to air on RTÉ One on August 29 at 10.35pm and will be available online via the RTÉ Player.
