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Victor Kossakovsky’s bombastic documentary captures the raw power of water
Aquarela
Dir: Victor Kossakovsky. UK, Germany, Denmark. 2018. 90mins
Any environmentalists and politicians arguing the need to combat climate change would do well to add Victor Kossakovsky’s Aquarela to their arsenal. The Russian filmmaker’s attempt to capture the raw power of the Earth’s water using 96 frames-per-second cinematography and considerable daring is an experience of shock and awe - as well as wonder - that all but Donald Trump should heed.
Some of the watery and icy locales appear more otherworldly and intimidating than anything concocted by CGI
This is nature documentary at the form’s most elemental, its subject, star and dominant presence being water itself - not the creatures within it and only occasionally mankind. There is no narration, no context or caption; in fact, the film only loses its grip when people enter the frame. While feature-length visual poetry would be expected to have limited theatrical potential, the immense popularity of TV nature programmes such as The Blue Planet, the environmental subtext and the visceral cinematic experience Aquarela offers...