Synopsis

Cédric Gras and Matthieu Tordeur set out from the once-vast, now-dried Aral Sea in search of the world’s longest mountain glacier: the Fedchenko. Stretching 77 kilometers, it stands as a symbol of the hundreds of icy tongues of the Pamir range—lifelines that sustain communities downstream in the deserts of Central Asia. Joined by a Tajik team, they retrace the paths of early explorers, crossing high mountain passes and navigating a maze of ice. Since the first expedition in 1928, little has changed: the landscape remains pristine, raw, and at times, unforgiving. Meanwhile, 2,000 kilometers away, the Aral Sea continues to shrink—its fate sealed by decades of over-extraction of glacial meltwater for crop irrigation. Through the lens of filmmaker Christophe Raylat, Cédric and Matthieu reveal the stark reality of this forgotten region, the true “water tower” of Central Asia.

Year:

2022

Production:

Matthieu Tordeur EURL | Picture

Équipe:

Direction: Christophe Raylat
Script: Cédric Gras, Christophe Raylat et Matthieu Tordeur
Image & Sound: Christophe Raylat
Editing: Christophe Raylat
Color grading: Philippe Fontaine
Sound mix: Laurent Mollard, Studio Gaïné
Original soundtrack: Ostinato Solo

Duration:

48 minutes

Official selections:

‣ Curieux Voyageurs 2023 — Saint-Étienne, France
‣ Festival Terre d’Ailleurs 2023 — Toulouse, France
‣ Le Rendez-vous International du Carnet de Voyage 2023 — Clermont-Ferrand, France
‣ Festival International du Film sur les Glaciers 2023 — Genève, Suisse
‣ Les Quais de l’Aventure 2023 — Bordeaux, France
‣ Retours du Monde 2022 — Pont du Fossé, France
‣ FIFAD 2022 — Les Diablerets, Suisse
‣ FIFAV 2022 — La Rochelle, France
‣ Festival Aventure & Découverte 2022 — Val d’Isère, France
‣ What A Trip ! 2022 — Montpelier, France
‣ Lumexplore 2022 — La Ciotat, France

Awards:

‣ 1er Prix au Festival International du Film sur les Glaciers 2023 — Genève, Suisse
‣ Prix de l’Aventure Humaine à Lumexplore 2022 — La Ciotat, France

VOD:

Synopsis

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