Aquarela

In lakes, waterfalls, glaciers, and hurricane form, water is absolutely everywhere in this eco-aware documentary collage from maverick Russian film-maker Victor Kossakovsky (Gunda). The opening sequence snares the viewer right away, as an early melt on a frozen lake dangerously catches out various motorists who use it as a short-cut. The intimation of climate change is obvious, but not hammered home, and nor do we get any information on screen as to where this has been shot. Kossakovsky wants us to focus on the images themselves, not fuss over geography, and fortunately he provides us with a cavalcade of marvels: watching huge ice sheets break apart; following the mesmerising patterns of heavy swell on a precarious ocean crossing; and braving the ravages of storm-force gusts battering a built-up seafront. The grandeur and the vulnerability of our natural world are laid out, and though the "cello metal" musical accompaniment from the suitably monikered Apocalyptica won't be to all tastes, as a viewing experience this is truly elemental fare.