Films about the Arctic

Frozen Planet: This excellent documentary from BBC includes great animal and nature footage of the Arctic and the Antarctic. It has beautiful images and students love it. Preview before showing it to children – certain episodes have frisky animals in them. *

Human Planet: This BBC documentary features humans surviving in extreme places. Episode 3,  Life in the Deep Freeze, shows Inuit hunting sharks and narwhals, catching auks, gathering mussels, herding reindeer, and dealing with polar bears. * 

Extreme Ice: This Nova documentary focuses on the melting glaciers in the Arctic. The filmmakers follow the Extreme Ice project as they use advanced filming techniques to capture climate change. This film is recommended by many of the Grosvenor Teacher Fellows and was used in many of their classrooms.* 

Chasing Ice: Chasing Ice is a 2012 documentary film about the efforts of photographer James Balog and his Extreme Ice Survey to publicize the effects of climate change. It’s a moving story that focuses mostly on Balog's struggle to film the ever-changing scenery of the North. Suitable for children with the exception of one F-bomb.*   

The Fast Runner:  The Fast Runner is an award winning Canadian film directed by Zacharias Kunuk in 2001. It was the first feature film ever to be written, directed and acted entirely in Inukitut. It's rated R for sexual content and a long, nude running scene.*

Before Tomorrow: Another award winning Inukitut drama from the same production company as The Fast Runner. This film is from 2008 and was shown on board the National Geographic Explorer.

Nanook of the North:  In 1922, Flaherty documented traditional Inuit life as Nanook's family hunted, fished, and created homes to survive in the frigid Hudson Bay region. This often amusing silent film is great for children, with the exception of two brief clips in which the women are changing clothes.  This film was shown on board the National Geographic Explorer.* 

* Available on Netflix