Festival Season:
October 2025
ICE BREATH
Directors:
Writers:
Leonard Alecu
Producers:
Leonard Alecu
Run Time:
0:42:50
Awarded for the following Category(s):
Awarded Category(s)
Between 2015 and 2024, Leonard Alecu filmed the melting icebergs off Greenland's East coast. Sailing dangerously close to icebergs, Alecu handled his camera to record the ice masses yielding to the ruthless ocean. Filmed in black and white, Ice Breath is a cinematic poem whose only elusive actor is the filmmaker's gaze. In 43 minutes, a sequence of flat pictures turn into dynamic tableaux, an existential journey from genesis to extinction. The hypnotic feature of the film is enhanced by the soundtrack Become Ocean, a haunting composition by John Luther Adams suggestive of a relentless tidal surge, of melting polar ice and rising sea levels. Become Ocean received critical acclaim, earning the 2014 Pulitzer Prize for Music and the 2015 Grammy for Best Classical Contemporary Composition. More than an environmental documentary, Ice Breath and Become Ocean is an experimental fusion exploring the vast, inscrutable meanings of climate change.
Submitter Statement
My visual upbringing rests on photography. The black-and-white aesthetic of large format film photography is the keystone of my artistic practice. My travels to Greenland were driven solely by photography. In many ways, it feels as if Ice Breath emerged on its own. It is a deeply personal journey—an unfolding image of my relentless pursuit of stillness, a haunting chase of the ideal spot. What began as a mere idea grew into an all-encompassing obsession: the remnants of photography evolved into an autonomous and compelling body of visual research. This process took hold of my work, reshaping not only my practice but also my perception of its very essence.
Ice Breath appears simple and uniform, but it is layered and multifaceted. On the surface, the film portrays the effects of climate change, highlighting the fragile balance of our environment. Beneath this outer layer unfolds a profound personal narrative and existential introspection. It is a journey that compelled me to reflect on my place within a transient realm that feels both immense and ephemeral—a mirror of impermanence and the fleeting nature of existence itself.
This exploration transcends the ecological perspective. It ventures into the spiritual and philosophical space, moving beyond observing humanity’s impact on nature to confront the transient beauty of life and the inevitability of disappearance. Witnessing the transformation of ancient frozen landscapes drew me into a dialogue with the unknown—a space where questions about purpose, time, and our role in the greater whole emerge with striking clarity. Each year of filming brought something irreplaceable—something unexpected, singular, and unrepeatable. Although the film is now complete (or is it?), I still feel an irresistible urge to continue this journey—a quest that is both cinematic and profoundly personal.
With a master's degree in microelectronics, Leonard Alecu is also a photographer and filmmaker. Introduced to large-format film photography (8x20 inches) by American photographers Paula Chamlee and Michael A. Smith, followers of the Edward Weston school, Alecu continues the pursuit of tangible perfection in black and white, born from the alchemy of analog photography. Captivated by subjects in the distant frozen lands of the North, he exhibits his large-format works in museums and galleries, such as the Museum of Recent Art in Bucharest and the University of Arts Gallery in Iasi. The film Ice Breath was born from the need to convey the movement and hidden drama Alecu always felt during his photographic expeditions to Greenland—something his large-format camera could not capture on the ocean. The transition from photography to film occurred spontaneously, with the same visual and existential explorations guiding the artist.
Key Cast
Other Credits