The Ice That Still Supports Us

Would you dare to travel four kilometres across the Baltic Sea on an ice road? In Estonia, this is a very common alternative, a tradition that goes back centuries. The Haapsalu-Noarootsi ice road saves ten kilometres of travel and is of special importance to the local population. Januš, the caretaker, perched as if at the gates of paradise, keeps track of the numbers of the passing cars in a logbook, while the poetic eye of the camera captures time passing and time standing still. Nietzsche’s quote is particularly relevant in the film: in the context of climate change, the ice that holds us together has indeed become too thin.

Arko Okk

Arko Okk graduated from the VGIK, Department of Cinematography. His debut feature as director, producer and scriptwriter was The Highway Crossing (1999), which won the FIPRESCI prize at the 10th Stockholm IFF. He has often worked as a cinematographer and/or producer on film productions with his former student partner Laila Pakalņina.