The film, set in the upper reaches of Uttarakhand, follows individuals living on the frontlines of collapse: a fisherman in Birohi whose river has been polluted and whose livelihood is gone and in Joshimath town, where land subsidence has turned homes into ruins. Their narratives unfold within a broader visual inquiry into environmental trauma, state and corporate power, and cultural memory.

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The Third Arctic is a planned feature-length creative documentary that investigates the ecological and human consequences of climate change and unregulated infrastructure development in the Indian Himalayan region—home to the planet’s third-largest reserve of ice after the Arctic and Antarctic. Often referred to as the “Third Pole,” this mountain system sustains nearly two billion people across South Asia through its glacial-fed river networks. But as temperatures rise and states accelerate hydropower, railway, and tunnel construction, this fragile ecosystem is rapidly destabilising.

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​The sample includes early observational footage and character-driven scenes from Joshimath, Birohi, and the ruins of a power structure at Rainee, featuring one of the scientific advisers. Aiming to offer a glimpse to uphold the visual tone, emotional rhythm, and tension central to the final film. The film reflects intimacy and an immersive approach.

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The Third Arctic is not just a film—it’s a cinematic call for ecological accountability. With the support of film funding agencies, I aim to transform this urgency into a powerful act of visual resistance and remembrance—a record of what was lost to environmental neglect and human excess.

 

The sample is a sensory map of the film’s mood, landscape, and perspective, which is not a final teaser.