Nordlichter: Leben am Polarkreis (2020)

The Arctic: It is one of the most fascinating regions on earth and at the same time one of the most endangered areas on this planet. Two ZDF teams travel along the Arctic Circle around the North Pole. Once towards the east from Svalbard through the arctic north of Russia to distant Siberia and once towards the west from Greenland via the Canadian archipelago and the Northwest Passage to the Alaskan oil fields. The reporters experience how the polar world changes in the age of global warming and under the influence of humans. They meet indigenous local people who defend their traditions against the modern. They marvel at majestic landscapes, far removed from the quarrels in the rest of the world, whose fascination attracts more and more tourists and cruise companies to the fragile region every year. The two-part documentary tries to show that it is high time to protect and preserve the Arctic, as its disappearance will have a strong impact on all of humanity.