TVO's The Polar Sea Melts Perceptions about Climate Change in Canada's North with an Unprecedented 10-Part, Multi-Media Journey Through the Northwest Passage
TORONTO, Nov. 3, 2014 /CNW/ - Beginning December 1, TVO's North American premiere of The Polar Sea takes audiences on an unprecedented 10,000 km multi-media journey through the Northwest Passage to reveal a world that is being transformed by climate change. The Polar Sea includes a 10-part documentary series, narrated by iconic Canadian actor Gordon Pinsent, which for the first time in TVO's history will be available in its entirety at tvo.org/polarsea on December 1, and during a special two-week television event on TVO weekdays at 9 pm December 1-12. The Polar Sea is also an interactive and immersive online experience that features a ground-breaking 360 degree documentary.
The Polar Sea, the documentary series, is produced by Primitive Entertainment in association with TVO, and follows Swedish amateur sailor Richard Tegnér as he sets off to traverse the Northwest Passage with a couple of friends in a small sailboat. Richard is part of a wave of tourists heading to the Northwest Passage which has suddenly been transformed into a new chic tourist destination by climate change. What Richard encounters is totally new; land never seen before, once hidden by centuries of ice. What he concludes is that we all now have no choice but to adapt to our changing climate.
"The whole planet is undergoing dramatic changes because of global warming, but nowhere is that so obvious as it is in the Arctic," says Kevin McMahon, writer, director, producer. "Thanks to TVO, who stepped up to be the lead North American broadcaster for The Polar Sea, we were able to use the lens of the Arctic – and in particular the Northwest Passage – to examine the profound transformation that is reshaping the place, its people and the relationship both have with the rest of the world. Our goal was simply to learn as much as we could from all those we encountered and try to present a fair approximation of the differing viewpoints."
Over the course of The Polar Sea's 10,000 km adventure, we meet scientists studying the effects of climate change and also how to exploit it, tourists looking for a rare experience, and southern workers in Alaskan oil fields. But it is the Inuit who take centre stage. For the Inuit, recent history has been a series of profound, destabilizing shocks. The Polar Sea talks to hunters and their families, business people, students, and artists whose views on climate change and its impact is influenced by context. Some welcome global warming, crediting it for longer summers playing golf and increased revenue from tourism and resource development. Others see it as a threat to their health and culture.
Along the way, The Polar Sea features a collection of artists who are capturing the mood of the Arctic's inevitably changing cultures. These include Terje Isungset, who makes music with glacial ice, National Geographic photographer Ulla Lohman, Inuit story teller Michael Kusugak, and Polaris Prize-winning throat-singer Tanya Tagaq, who brilliantly reinterprets Nanook of the North.
The Polar Sea online experience, accessed through tvo.org/polarsea, offers additional layers of original content including a remarkable 360 degree video journey produced by DEEP Inc. that uses revolutionary multi-lensed cameras. This ground-breaking technology allows viewers to pan and scan the field of view for an immersive plunge into the Arctic landscape. The Polar Sea online also includes a magazine of articles that expand on issues raised in the series and includes additional voices from experts not presented in the documentary.
To further expand on the subjects encountered in The Polar Sea, at 8 and 11 pm on December 1 and 8, TVO's flagship current affairs program, The Agenda with Steve Paikin, will invite expert guests to discuss and debate issues raised in the series.
"The world's eyes have been on the Arctic in recent years and the discovery of the Franklin expedition has increased awareness about climate change and its impact on Canada's North and its indigenous people," says Lisa de Wilde, TVO's Chief Executive Officer. "TVO's innovative multi-platform documentaries and current affairs programs like The Polar Sea and The Agenda are designed to expose audiences to new things and engage them through smart content."
About TVO
As the technological extension of Ontario's public education system, TVO's vision is to create a better world through the power of learning. TVO provides learning opportunities for Ontarians through innovative educational products, in-depth current affairs, groundbreaking documentaries, and award-winning TVOKids resources both inside and outside the classroom. TVO is funded primarily by the Province of Ontario and is a registered charity supported by sponsors and thousands of donors. For more information, visit tvo.org.
Where to Find TVO
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SOURCE: TVO
Media contact: Paul Ginis, TVO Public Relations Specialist, 416-484-2600 x2445, [email protected]
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