The Last Ice
As the sea ice between Canada and Greenland melts, the outside world sees unprecedented opportunity. Oil and gas deposits, faster shipping routes, tourism and fishing all provide financial incentive to exploit the newly opened waters. But for more than 100,000 Inuit who live in the Arctic, on and around the frozen ocean, an entire way of life is at stake. Development here threatens to upset the balance between their communities, land and wildlife, leaving the future of this region and their culture increasingly uncertain. Directed by Scott Ressler and executive produced by Dr. Enric Sala, National Geographic Explorer-in-Residence and founder of National Geographic Pristine Seas, THE LAST ICE, tells the story of Inuit communities fighting to protect the rapidly disappearing Arctic that has been their home for centuries.
Meet the Filmmakers
Scott Ressler
In Scott Ressler’s first feature-length documentary THE LAST ICE, we are introduced to two young Inuit who are fighting for their survival in the face of climate change. Ressler is no stranger to environmental stories and causes, having worked as a producer, director, cameraman and editor for the National Geographic Society for over a decade. He has created multiple documentaries on ocean conservation as a documentary producer for Pristine Seas, a project that was launched in 2008 to explore and help save the last wild places in the ocean.
Enric Sala
Enric Sala is a former university professor who saw himself writing the obituary of ocean life, and quit academia to become a full-time conservationist as a National Geographic Explorer-in-Residence. He founded and leads Pristine Seas, a project that combines exploration, research, and media to inspire country leaders to protect the last wild places in the ocean. To date, Pristine Seas has helped to create 22 of the largest marine reserves on the planet, covering an area of 5.8 million square km. He has earned numerous honors for his work, including 2008 World Economic Forum’s Young Global Leader, 2013 Explorers Club Lowell Thomas Award, 2013 Environmental Media Association Hero Award, 2016 Russian Geographical Society Award, and 2018 Heinz Award in Public Policy. He is a fellow of the Royal Geographical Society. Sala earned a B.S. in Biology from the University of Barcelona and a Ph.D. in ecology from Aix-Marseille University, France.
Brian Newell
Brian Newell is the Senior Editor for the Pristine Seas team, writing and editing documentary films and shorts to help inspire ocean conservation. In addition, he has edited two feature documentaries at National Geographic: the award-winning Into the Okavango (2018) and the upcoming The Last Ice (2020). Brian graduated with a B.A. in film studies from Connecticut College in 2005 and edited shows for History, Discovery, Travel Channel, PBS, and others before joining National Geographic.
Meet the Film Subjects
Maatalii Okalik
Originally from Panniqtuuq (Pangnirtung), Nunavut, Maatalii Okalik is recognized locally and internationally for her work as an Inuit youth advocate. As the President of Canada’s National Inuit Youth Council (2015-2017), Okalik built awareness around the unique issues facing Inuit youth, including high suicide rates, occupational uncertainty, and the growing regional impact of climate change. In this role she also championed Inuit cultural and language education among Inuit youth, a cause she further promoted during her tenure at the Pirurvik Center in Iqaluit, Nunavut. Okalik also previously served as the Chief of Protocol with the Department of Executive and Intergovernmental Affairs for the Government of Nunavut and the President of the Ottawa Inuit Children’s Centre. For her activism, she received the 2017 Indspire Award for Inuit Youth and the 2016 Qulliit Nunavut Status of Women Council’s Outstanding Young Woman Award. Okalik has a degree in Human Rights and Political Science from Carleton University and is currently pursuing a Master's in West Nordic Studies: Governance and Sustainable Management at the University of Greenland.
Aleqatsiaq Peary
Aleqatsiaq Peary is an Inuk musician and hunter living in Qaanaaq, Greenland - one of the northernmost towns in the world. He is the great, great, great grandson of Robert Peary, who is known as the first person to reach the North Pole in 1909.