A Must Watch Doc: “Arctic Alchemy”

Once in a while, an adventure documentary comes along that’s something more than just an adventure documentary. You now have the good fortune of watching “Arctic Alchemy” on the LA Times website.  The documentary runs nearly thirty minutes and becomes a character study of adventurer-scientist Roman Dial. Way back in the day, as a twenty year old, I’d hear whispers from the far North about Dial and his wide-ranging adventures. And from what I recall, and now know, these were adventures with a true sense of unknown outcomes. And over time, Dial became a master of all trades: mountaineering, skiing, packrafting, overland cycling, and, oftentimes, a mix of all the disciplines. Dial is also a teacher and scientist—he retired from teaching and researching at Alaska Pacific University after a 32-year career.  What we see in “Arctic Alchemy” is an authentic melding of Dial’s passions: the research and the adventure. Along the way, as we see in the film, Dial pays it forward, mentoring Russel Wong, an adventure scientist in his own right, following in Dial’s footsteps. What is also likely to grab your attention (and heartstrings) is Dial reflecting on losing his son, Cody Roman Dial—something he wrote about, too, in the book The Adventurer’s Son: A Memoir. In the write-up about the film, the LA Times nails the summary: “What began as a film about science and wilderness became a meditation on emotional resilience. ‘Arctic Alchemy’ explores how curiosity, hope, and love endure in the face of loss — and how the act of moving through wild country can offer a way to keep going.”