In short: Going Greenland
Posted on Oct 30, 2024 by Katie Kasperson
A story of grit and the reality of travelling sustainably, docu-short Going Greenland captures an ambitious skiing and sailing expedition in the icy Arctic circle
Words Katie Kasperson
In case it was ever up for debate, climate change is real; the Going Greenland crew have seen it in action. When skiers Jessica Baker and Rachael Burks – along with captain Benjamin Ruffieux – hit Greenland’s west coast in 2019, they observed the ice melting amid unprecedented warm temperatures. Returning in 2022 with Erich Roepke and Sophie Danison, the team had a goal loftier than simply skiing untouched territory; they were going to film the ongoing environmental changes at the world’s second-largest ice cap – using only renewable energy.
With Ruffieux at the sailboat’s helm, powered solely by sunlight and wind, the crew travelled throughout the Arctic in search of adventure, first and foremost. A small team of five, they all had to be competent skiers, with Roepke (director, DOP and editor) and Danison (cinematographer and photographer) taking on the additional task of filming each run.
“All the gear had to fit in our packs for a full day of skiing big lines in Greenland,” recalls Roepke. “For the on-slope camera and vérité camera, we opted for the Canon C70; for the big wides, we used DJI drones. We shot primarily on RF glass for the convenience of autofocus.”
Combining raw shots with massive landscapes at golden hour, Going Greenland’s visual language couples beauty with its counter – “something real and gritty,” describes Roepke. “We worked hard to capture the not-so-pretty moments,” he shares, including bouts of seasickness. “The biggest challenge for me was to keep rolling. I can’t help but kick myself for not fighting through it.”
Another major obstacle: “How to make a story that wasn’t completely hypocritical,” admits Roepke. The trick was to capture climate change without contributing to it. “The early conversations were about trying to find a balance,” and of course, it wasn’t always easy. “The expedition wasn’t environmentally perfect, but it was a step in the direction of progress,” he says.
A self-described adventurer and documentary filmmaker, Roepke has two goals for Going Greenland. The first is to “show other young adventure filmmakers what is possible with a skeleton crew,” he says. The second, broader, aim is to “give people hope, even in the face of complicated questions,” like how to appreciate and immerse yourself in nature without harming it.
If he could do it over again, Roepke would keep on rolling, especially in hard times. “There were so many intense moments I witnessed that I didn’t film,” he reveals. “I never regret hitting the record button; I only regret missing the shot.”
Going Greenland will screen at the upcoming Banff Film Festival.
This feature was first published in the November 2024 issue of Definition.
