[Synopsis]
Legendary polar explorer, Will Steger, inspires a community by preserving the forgotten craft of ice harvesting.
Best known for his legendary polar explorations, Will Steger’s life work grew out of a single log cabin he built after moving to the Minnesotan wilderness at age 25. Reliant on sustainable energy and natural commodities, Steger formed a community and culture based on the principle of mutuality. Central to Steger’s operation is the lost art of cutting ice for refrigeration. This annual harvest formed a tradition spanning fifty years that became known as the “Ice Ball”. While this old world technology inevitably became obsolete, its disappearance parallels a concerning loss of social interdependence in modern society.In a nostalgic celebration of this winter craft, the film is a portrayal of human innovation and interconnection that embodies one man’s attempt to move society forward, without leaving the past behind.
[Format]
Short Documentary
[Year]
2019
[Director]
Nathaniel Schmidt
[Producers]
Simon Williams
Tanya Silver
Brendon Skinner
[ABout]
Ice Ball is a co-production between Australia-based “Gravity Films” and Minnesota based “Six Months of Winter”.
In 2016 & 2017 Australian born director Nathaniel Schmidt and Producer Tanya Silver brought a small film crew to Ely, Minnesota to capture Will Steger’s “Ice Ball” event. Living in Minneapolis at the time Nathaniel became fascinated with the community that would gather at the remote homestead and participate in the lost art of ice cutting.
In 2018 Nathaniel relocated back to Australia, and connected with Simon Williams and Brendon Skinner of Gravity Films. The footage from the Ice Ball event was yet to be edited, so Gravity Films came on board to raise finance for post production and complete the film. The production was awarded funding through the Media Resource Centre’s Production Investment Program and completed post-production in both Adelaide, South Australia and Minneapolis, Minnesota.
[Festivals]
