Arctic Alchemy

Just got out of seeing this film at Southside Film Festival, and for the first third of it I was waiting for them to actually concisely show what they're doing. The problem is this film is so verite that it struggles to stay focused, and really has a hard time making me feel any connection or desire to care about its subjects. It was an interesting subject, but it wasn't focused enough and I feel like the editing didn't serve it well. It fell into the genre of "roadtrip documentaries" making me feel like it was more meant to be a personal memento than an actual compelling film. Also the orange and desaturated blue color grading was downright distracting throughout the entire piece and did not serve the film.

This film is about following a vision and the toll the journey, even a successful one, can take on those who brave it. It's about the tangled tethers of friendship. It's about discovering singularity in the mundane just by adjusting the viewfinder. Chris, the Pennsylvania brewer at the helms of the adventure. He is a driving force strong enough to inspire not only a few friends and acquaintances to follow him to the northern edge of Canada - he teams up with a duo of Russian documentary filmmakers. Director Nastya Tarasova and cinematographer Irina Shatalova, known for their tireless work in the popularization of documentary film through the DOKer Project, follow the band of riders with a warm, attentive, but unobtrusive camera. As the group moves further to the outer limits of North America and bring to life an vintage recipe, the warm palette of the film cools. By the time Chris will set up his mobile brewery against the pelting rain, the picture is almost monochromatic. The choice to color grade the film was a risky one, but, in my opinion, it pays off. The tint guides the viewer's attention away from the scenery to the interpersonal tensions within the group, allowing the time to learn the individual idiosyncrasies. The journey is accompanied by a soaring original score by Dmitry Selipanov. The origin story of the legendary beer is depicted in an intricate sand painting animation by Anna Shepilova .