In George R.R. Martin’s Game of Thrones fantasy books A Song of Ice and Fire, winter is coming and mankind’s very existence is threatened by a tribe of horse-riding necromancers and their army of the dead. In the real world, it’s the planet’s destruction that looms at the hands of petrochemical giant Shell. At least that’s the message Greenpeace are trying to get across with their portentous video A Song of Oil, Ice and Fire. Made in collaboration with creative agency Don’t Panic, the film depicts the aftermath of Arctic oil drilling planned by Shell — something Greenpeace believe will be the thin end of a hugely destructive wedge of polar exploration by environmentally exploitative companies.
Featuring new work by political photomontage Brit artists kennardphillipps — aka Peter Kennard and Cat Phillips, aka the duo behind THAT Tony Blair selfie image — iconic landscapes by the likes of David Hockney are torched to make way for their dystopian vision; one of an American landscape wrecked by spills and scarred by the invasive equipment and infrastructure needed to access the dwindling reserves. Clouds of smoke belch from unstoppable fires, and the very imagery itself blisters and ignites with heat. Those sceptical about whether a film can really make a difference should check out Greenpeace and Don’t Panic’s previous work LEGO: Everything is NOT Awesome, which led to the toymaker ending a 50-year partnership with Shell. Take that, giant evil resource-raping shitbags.
