Ice People

Overview

Ice People is a 2008 documentary film directed and produced by Anne Aghion. It follows the Antarctic research of scientists Allan Ashworth and Adam Lewis, whose work includes the discovery of fossils dating back 13.9 million years. The film places scientific field research in the stark setting of Antarctica and focuses on what the scientists uncover there.

Aghion made the film in English. It is listed as a French documentary, with Antarctica as its subject. The film premiered at the San Francisco International Film Festival in April 2008 and was screened at the Jerusalem Film Festival in July of that year. It later aired on Sundance Channel in 2009.

For viewers drawn to science documentaries, the central appeal is the link between present-day research and evidence of ancient life preserved in the Antarctic landscape. The film is specifically about Ashworth and Lewis’s research rather than a general survey of the continent.

Key features

• Antarctic research: The film follows the work of Allan Ashworth and Adam Lewis in Antarctica.
• Ancient fossils: Their research includes fossils dated to 13.9 million years ago.
• Directed and produced by Anne Aghion: Aghion holds both roles on the film.
• English-language documentary: The film is in English and is classified as a documentary film.

Platforms

Ice People aired on Sundance Channel in 2009. No current streaming availability is specified here, so viewers should not assume that the film is presently available on that service.

Who it's for

This film may suit viewers interested in Antarctica, scientific field research, or the history of life revealed through fossils. Teachers and students looking for a documentary centered on a specific research project may also find its focus useful: it connects Ashworth and Lewis’s work to fossil discoveries from millions of years ago.

It is a focused subject rather than a broad introduction to Antarctica. Viewers seeking a wider account of the continent or its many scientific disciplines should bear in mind that the stated subject is the research of two scientists.

Pros and cons

• Pros: A clear research focus, an Antarctic setting, and fossil discoveries that reach far back in time give the film a defined scientific subject.
• Cons: The available description offers little detail about the researchers’ methods or the film’s structure, and it does not establish where the documentary can be watched today.

Alternatives

For more work by Aghion, see Documentaries by Anne Aghion. For other films from the same decade, browse Documentaries of the 2000s.

Aghion’s My Neighbor, My Killer, In Rwanda We Say... The Family That Does Not Speak Dies, and Gacaca, Living Together Again In Rwanda? offer further options for viewers exploring her documentary work.

Verdict

Ice People is a concise subject for viewers interested in Antarctic science and the traces of ancient life found there. Its focus on Ashworth and Lewis gives the documentary a specific research thread, while the fossil discoveries provide a clear point of interest. The facts available establish the film’s subject, filmmakers, language, and past screenings, but not its present availability or the finer details of how the research unfolds on screen.