Into the Cold: A Journey of the Soul

"Into the Cold: A Journey of the Soul" (2010 release; 87 min.) retells the preparation for, and then the actual attempt, to recreate the polar expedition of Admiral Keary and his team from 1909 exactly 100 years later. It basically involved a 6 week trek on foot, covering over 300 miles, towards the north pole. As the documentary opens, we are introduced to Sebastian Copeland, the writer-director-photographer-editor and all-around "star" of this movie. We learn a bit of his background and then things start to get serious with the final preparations of Sebastian's and Keith's trek, which Sebastian calls "the Mount Everest of polar expeditions", but as the DVD jacket cleverly points out: "In the last century, fewer than 150 people have made it to the North Pole on foot. By comparison, 77 people summitted Mt. Everest on May 22, 2008 alone", so it's pretty clear which of the two is hardest. To tell you more would spoil your viewing experience, you'll just have to see for yourself how it all plays out.

Couple of comments: first, the initial 40 min. or so of the documentary are devoted to background stories and preparations for the expedition. So when we finally do get to the actual expedition, I was more than ready for it. I'm happy to say it is very much worth it, and then some. We see Sebastian and Keith dealing with rubble fields, pressure ridges, fatigue, and the cold. Ah, yes, the cold! Temperatures exceed minus 50F at times, just unreal. Second, the footage from the North Pole is nothing short of stunning. And the beauty is that we get to see it in the comfort and warmth of our living room. Third, despite all the fluff about "searching for myself" or "a soul's journey", Copeland has a clear agenda for doing this, and the movie is basically a plea for a renewable and sustainable world. Last but not least, the documentary features a great soundtrack (courtesy of Didier Lockwood), and the occasional song (best of all: Canada's own Besnard Lakes' epic "Like The Ocean. Like The Innocent", which plays over the end titles). Somewhat surprisingly there are no bonus materials of any kind on the DVD (unless you want to call a 2 min. commercial for Copeland's "Antarctica: A Global Warning" book a "bonus feature", as the DVD jacket actually does).

I stumbled upon this movie while browsing the documentary section of my local library. So glad that I found this. For another recent documentary with even better jaw-dropping footage, I can instantly and readily suggest you check out "Chasing Ice", dealing with glaciers in Greenland, Iceland and Alaska. Meanwhile, "Into the Cold" is HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!

This film is in serious need of an edit -- way, way too long and a complete ego trip for the filmmaker. A mere nod to the so much more harrowing Arctic expeditions that went before them and, really, didn't he realize where all that fancy high tech gear they were using comes from? That maybe, just maybe it's our love of high tech causing the problem of climate change the filmmaker preaches against? I bought this movie thinking it would take me to places I would never see in person, but all I saw were young men making endless preparations (boring), finally getting to their starting point, and then walking, walking, walking. The most interesting part were the still photographs, which were included at one point. Like another reviewer said, wait for TV -- save your money.

Sebastian Copelands film is an escape from our modern world. When was the last time you did that? Sebastians film hits on three nerves for me. Isolation/solitude, personal/corporate responsibility and beauty. I am grateful to Sebastian for taking this journey so i could experience it through his eyes since there is NO chance i could ever do it on my own. Simply for that, this movie is a MUST see. From the time you see him weighing and packing his gear to the moment he arrives on the North Pole, you can see every moment of his experience. I'm sure condensing that to 90 minutes was difficult enough. You'll leave the film feeling a little more thought provoked on why we are here and our place in this planet.

This documentary captures Copeland and Heger's march across the Arctic in -34 degree temperatures to commemorate the hundredth anniversary of the first expedition to the North Pole by Admiral Peary in 1909 their trek (including information on their training, what they packed and why) with vivid shots of vast whiteness and their own words to describe what they're going through. Pulling heavy sleds across rocky uneven terrain with challenging weather makes the feat sometimes seem impossible: "The mood varies between euphoric and upbeat and frustrated and doubtful."

There's a strong message on climate change featured throughout as the duo are also doing this to raise awareness on melting Polar caps--Copeland makes the point that there will be no opportunity for a bicentennial expedition.

I find other people's commitments to treks like this interesting and I've certainly never experienced anything like the Arctic, but the film isn't particularly exciting, Copeland and Heger aren't featured enough for me to truly care about them (I mean, I'm not cold-hearted or anything, but there isn't enough insight for me to want to follow their story), and the scenery is definitely new but not awe-inspiring (Copeland acknowledges that capturing the scenery on film is difficult for many reasons).

So, you will not find me donning a parka and traveling to the Northwest Passage anytime soon, but if you are planning on doing something like that, you'd probably enjoy this.

For over 90 minutes Sebastian Copeland takes us step-by-step on a fascinating and dangerous trip to the North Pole. Two men, on skis, brave incredible odds to do what few people have done before.

The most important message to us all is the ecological one: and this is rightly and forcibly impressed upon us throughout the film. It's easy to sit back in an armchair in - for example - Glen Cove, New York, and decree that the film has "way too much talk about climate change"!! It's never "enough" to "drone on" about the appalling state of the earth that this generation is going to leave for the next ones! And how many people almost risk their lives to impress this upon us?

The film is beautifully shot and the narration takes us from the beginning germ of an idea in Copeland's head, to his meeting, much later on, with Keith Heger, his companion on the trek, and the many agonizing days and nights they risk in order to reach their goal.

I cannot urge you enough to see this film (I believe is is coming out on DVD). Show it to your kids! Not for one minute does one get bored with the fascinating account of what goes on in Copeland's head as he endures an eerie silence day after day, only broken by the scrape of skis on brittle snow. It is truly a wonderful opportunity that Copeland has given to us to share in this exciting adventure: one that we were actually able to follow on a daily basis exactly a year ago on his Face Book blog as the trek progressed --- from our armchairs all over the world.