Iceland will likely have no glaciers left in 200 years. “Time and Water” highlights the sorrow from the loss of nature and its history, intertwined with the importance of family.
Narrator Andri Snær Magnason is an Icelandic writer and environmental activist. His entire ancestry is from Iceland, and their history is deeply rooted in the glaciers of their land.
Magnason captures the stories of his family, specifically his grandparents, and their lives in Iceland through a series of home videos that he took over the past several decades.
Throughout this film, director Sara Dosa fuses nature and family to illustrate the parallels between them. This film is presented as a time capsule for viewers, where they can witness the presence of glaciers in 2026. The storyline following the glaciers and their importance is filled with sorrow and grief. Magnason’s narration over footage of melting ice explains the dire situation of climate change and sets a mournful tone for the film.
Dosa’s choice of music was a mix of a score done by American composer Dan Deacon and several Icelandic songs. The orchestral and electronic mixes played alongside scenes that reflected Iceland’s beauty, contrasted with the musicless scenes of melting glaciers that convey the aching of the Icelandic people watching their land die.
In comparison, the film depicts the magnitude of family and ancestry, building a unique sense of nostalgia. Magnason’s grandparents, Árni and Hulda, were brought together because of Iceland’s largest glacier, Vatnajökull. Montages of Magnason’s family are played, with footage of his children growing up becoming more prominent as the clips of his grandparents slowly fade away.
The film builds striking parallels between human life and death with nature. In 2014, Iceland’s smallest glacier, Okjökull, was given a certificate of death, and the country grieved the loss deeply. Similarly, Magnason describes the heartbreaking passing of several of his grandparents. Dosa conveys the intertwining of nature and grief through these scenes. Water holds history, and Magnason’s footage of his family captures the effects of time in a similar way.
Magnason mourns how much of his country has already been lost due to climate change. Many comparisons are made to illustrate the stark contrast in Iceland’s nature over the years. Dosa’s shots reveal a tragic storyline where the sounds of birds that could once be heard thriving along the coasts of the mountains now sit in silence. Mountains that used to be covered in a coat of white now reveal the stone underneath.
Despite the many striking shots of glaciers and mountains that illustrate the country’s beauty, Dosa doesn’t stray from the melancholy scenes of Iceland’s deteriorating nature. “Time and Water” serves as a commentary on the significance of family that simultaneously draws attention to the current climate crisis.
You can keep up with The Maneater’s 2026 True/False Film Fest coverage here.
Edited by Darby Schwerman | [email protected]
Copy edited by Emma Harper | [email protected]
Edited by Chase Pray | [email protected]