Time and Water: A Cinematic Love Letter to Iceland, Memory and Our Changing World

Some documentaries inform. Others stay with you long after the credits roll.

Time and Water, the latest film from BAFTA-nominated director Sara Dosa, falls firmly into the second category. Blending breathtaking imagery with deeply personal storytelling, it explores one of the defining issues of our time through the lens of family, memory and the fragile beauty of Iceland’s disappearing glaciers.

At its heart is renowned Icelandic writer and poet Andri Snær Magnason, who sets out to preserve not just a landscape, but a way of life. As glaciers retreat at an alarming pace, he creates a cinematic time capsule, weaving together family archives, old photographs, home movies, folklore and music into a moving reflection on what we inherit and what we leave behind.

Rather than delivering a conventional climate documentary, Time and Water asks profoundly human questions about home, identity and our relationship with the natural world. It’s a film that encourages contemplation rather than confrontation, inviting audiences to witness change through deeply personal stories.

The result is visually stunning and emotionally resonant, with beautiful cinematography from Pablo Álvarez-Mesa and an evocative score by Dan Deacon. The film has already drawn praise from critics, with The Irish Times describing it as “an arresting documentary.”

As a BAFTA member, I was delighted to receive an invitation to a special London screening hosted by National Geographic Documentary Films. Unfortunately, diary commitments mean I probably won’t be able to attend, but it’s exactly the kind of thoughtful independent cinema that deserves to find a wide audience.

For those interested in experiencing the film before heading to the cinema, I’ve also added the official trailer to the UK Film Network video library.

Watch the trailer here:
UK Film Network trailer

Film Details

Time and Water
Director: Sara Dosa
Running Time: 93 minutes
Certificate: PG

Now showing in UK cinemas.

If you’re looking for a documentary that combines cinematic beauty with genuine emotional depth, Time and Water deserves a place on your watchlist. It reminds us that while landscapes may change, the stories we tell about them can endure for generations.