National Geographic's documentary "Time and Water" combines the personal family history of Icelandic author Andri Snær Magnason with the story of the country's disappearing glaciers. Directed by Sara Dosa, known for "Fire of Love," the film is based on Magnason's 2019 book "Of Time And Water" and features his "obituary" for the Ok glacier, Iceland's first glacier to vanish.
The documentary employs a narrative style that intertwines Magnason's family memories, including his grandparents who were pioneering glaciologists, with the broader theme of climate change. It utilizes a mix of archival photographs and home videos provided by Magnason, as well as contemporary footage of Iceland's melting landscapes. The film explores how to mourn for natural phenomena like glaciers and uses the 2014 "funeral" of the Okjökull glacier, where Magnason wrote a "Letter to the Future" on a plaque, as a significant plot point.
"Time and Water" premiered in New York theaters on May 29th, with releases in Los Angeles and San Francisco on June 5th, and is expected to be available on National Geographic and Disney+ later in the year. While some critics found parts of the film indulgent, its intention is to connect audiences to the overwhelming issue of climate change through a deeply emotional and personal lens, framing it as a crisis of memory and responsibility rather than just ecology.
