For decades, glaciers have been a steady presence in the lives of Icelanders, including writer Andri Snær Magnason and his family. His grandparents Árni and Hulda were pioneering members of the Icelandic Glacial Research Society, even honeymooning at Vatnajökull, Iceland’s largest glacier. When Magnason was asked to write the eulogy for 700-year-old Okjökull, the first glacier officially declared dead due to climate change, it inspired On Time and Water, his fuller inquiry into family, memory, loss, and how we occupy the landscapes that surround us. Here, in the film informed by his book, Magnason’s narration— ranging from slightly playful to plaintive—effectively matches the film’s visual rhythm, leaving space for viewers to absorb director Sara Dosa’s beautifully crafted mix of family photos, home movies, and mesmerizing present-day footage. While the juxtaposition of these elements emphasizes the stark effects of global warming, the graceful shifting between past to present also mimics the constant movement of time and water. WM

Q&A following screening