Summary
“Haulout,” the documentary analyzed, is about a lone scientist on the shore of the Siberian Arctic who discovers that warming seas have hampered walrus migration. Evgenia Arbugaeva and Maxim Arbugaev, both directors and writers, released a film on November 21, 2022 (“Haulout,” 2022). At the 2023 Academy Awards, “Haulout” was nominated for Best Documentary Short (“Haulout,” 2022). The 25-minute documentary is a challenge of patience for the displayed researcher, the movie directors, and those watching, with stunning visuals and a sad message.
“Haulout’s” enduring point is that the world’s edges are now as destroyed by people as the areas that have long been shattered. For instance, global warming leads to ice disappearance, and when walruses cannot rest on sea ice during their journey, an occurrence is called a haulout. They are more vulnerable to predators, anxiety, exhaustion, and stampedes on land. These enormous gatherings are lethal because stampedes occur when easily frightened walruses trample one another (WWF Arctic Programme, 2019). While the documentary addresses the environmental concern of global warming and shows how dangerous a lack of sea ice can be for walruses, there is a lack of conversation throughout the film.
Filmmakers tried to document the pernicious changes in the environment that are facilitated by global warming, which is confirmed when he tells his dictation machine that he cannot see them yet (“Haulout,” 2022). Nonetheless, conversations and explanations are brief, with the marine researcher never speaking directly to the camera. Viewers get a feeling of the scientist’s loneliness and a clue of what he is eagerly waiting for as he reads through a torn photography book, as he patrols the windy landscapes and bides his time by renovating the old hut that is his temporary shelter. Once at night, the scientist hears a noise outside; he opens the door and sees thousands of walruses mounted side by side and on top of one another (“Haulout,” 2022). The overwhelming grandeur of the gathering inspires awe in the audience. Still, they also experience grief, especially in the film’s last scenes, when dead walruses are shown.
Analysis
Assessing the Documentary’s Validity: Content and Style
The documentary relies on its end title cards to describe the difficulties posed by global warming in this ecosystem. For instance, the final titles state that Maxim Chakilev is a marine biologist who studies walrus migration patterns and plays the role of the researcher in the film (“Haulout,” 2022). He investigated that there are 95,000 walruses on the beach right outside his housing, with another 6,000 in the water (“Haulout,” 2022). The greater the number of walruses, the more perilous it is for the walruses themselves.
The sparse speech employed throughout the film makes the audience understand the problem. Chakilev only speaks a few times during the film, yet each word contributes to a better understanding of the catastrophic situation. According to WWF, walruses spend most of their time on sea ice, although they travel with shifting ice floes and require ice for rest and feeding between dives (“What is a walrus haulout,” n.d.). As a result, hundreds of walruses travel longer distances to seek protection on shore when there is no ice available (“What is a walrus haulout,” n.d.).
The Arctic is rising twice as quickly as the rest of the world, and if emissions continue unabated, the polar region may be ice-free in the summer by 2040 (“What is a walrus haulout,” n.d.). According to Rantanen et al. (2022), the Arctic has warmed roughly four times faster than the rest of the world since 1979. Hence, climate warming is drastically reducing the amount of accessible sea ice for walruses.
The viewers experience the Arctic atmosphere through the film style: a dense ocean fog covers the horizon, covering the sea, shore, and objects in a deep grey. “Haulout” is a profoundly cinematic experience showing an eternal perspective of the polar region. When trying to enter the refuge, a walrus scares itself by pushing down a metal container (“Haulout,” 2022).
Viewers see another walrus, a baby, shortly after Chakilev fails to close off the covered outdoor space with a wooden plank (“Haulout,” 2022). The documentary shows walruses as massive, scary animals, but they appear extremely worried. The sound design is outstanding with its affinity to walrus noises, showing a reverence for the majesty of these creatures and the terrible conditions that have led them to this area.
Evaluating the Director’s Effectiveness in Achieving Purpose
The film is valid because it demonstrates the actual occurrence captured by the filmmakers. Arbugaeva collaborated with her brother on her debut film, telling The New Yorker that she was inspired by the beach and Chakilev’s work while working on a photographic endeavor about an Indigenous Chukchi village that relies on subsistence hunting (Munday, 2022). She remained in the researcher’s temporary house for three months, admitting to being terrified by the sight of the haulout but believing it was vital to capture the disaster (Munday, 2022). Evgenia Arbugaeva and Maxim Arbugaev achieved their purpose by demonstrating that global warming caused by humans kills many inhabitants of the Arctic; thus, urgent action is needed.
Personal Agreement with the Documentary’s Message
I agree with the documentary as I also believe that global warming is a crucial threat. The loss of seasonal sea ice creates a hazard to Pacific walruses, mainly because they require sea ice for rest and access to and foraging on these thick offshore clam beds (University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science, 2021). With the melting of sea ice near Alaska in recent years, hundreds of walruses are coming to coastal beaches in late summer that are far from the most productive clam beds (University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science, 2021). Stampedes also occur due to these enormous gatherings, leading to further fatalities. The information and ideas in the documentary are valid as they address the real issue that has to be resolved.
Critical Response to the Documentary’s Views and Information
The documentary lacks dialogue, but it still highlights the environmental problem of global warming and demonstrates how detrimental a lack of sea ice may be for walruses. The dead walruses at the end emphasize how devastating a lack of sea ice can be and the urgency with which the problem must be addressed. I think the filmmakers achieved their purpose of recording the haulout occurrence and showing the dangers of global warming.
The strengths are visuals, sound design, and an almost post-apocalyptic atmosphere that brings a sense of anxiety and impending disaster. Some viewers may see the absence of speech as a weakness, but as was shown through the documentary analysis, the fundamental idea is evident even without words. As a result, my overall reaction: I was impressed by the documentary because it provides valid information and actual research findings on haulout. I believe it motivates people to take action to protect the environment. The film showed how walruses suffer, yet global warming affects all inhabitants on Earth.
References
“Haulout”: Melting sea ice pushes walruses to the brink. (2022). The New Yorker. Web.
Rantanen, M., Karpechko, A. Y., Lipponen, A., Nordling, K., Hyvärinen, O., Ruosteenoja, K., Vihma, T., & Laaksonen, A. (2022). The Arctic has warmed nearly four times faster than the globe since 1979. Communications Earth & Environment, 3(168). Web.
University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science. (2021). Female and young walruses depend on disappearing Arctic sea ice for food sources. Science Daily. Web.
What is a walrus haulout and what does it mean for the planet? (n.d.). WWF. Web.
WWF Arctic Programme. (2019). Our planet: The story behind the walruses. WWF. Web.