Must Watch reviews: On Thin Ice: Putin v Greenpeace

Tuesday 11 June 2024, 9:45

Every week, the Must Watch podcasters review the biggest TV and streaming shows.

This week, Hayley Campbell and Scott Bryan join 5 Live presenter Nihal Arthanayake to review On Thin Ice: Putin v Greenpeace.

In 2013, Russia was about to extract the world’s first offshore Arctic oil. A Greenpeace ship set sail for the oil rig, hoping to film a protest and discourage an international Arctic oil rush.

Russian security services had been monitoring activities of the ship and word came from the very top: the protestors would be made an example of. The ship was captured and its protestors imprisoned.

‘They just didn't know that the guns would be pulled on them’

Nihal: “Hayley, is this a Must Watch?”

Hayley: “Yes. It does a great job of explaining both the cause and also the absolutely enormous danger that they were in. But I think what I liked about it the most is, it really shows you how different all the protesters are. Some of them seem like career activists, some are eccentric madmen, and one is just this polite plumber who usually fixes toilets. And they all banded together for this cause.

“It humanises the protesters, not that they need humanising as such, but it bands them together as just a bunch of humans doing this insanely dangerous thing for something they believe in. I think you forget that when the media gives them the fancy shorthand name like the Arctic 30.

“As well as that, the footage is incredible because obviously they had to film it to show the world what they were doing - that's what Greenpeace does. They just didn't know that the guns would be pulled on them. So that footage is terrifying. And for the parts they didn't have cameras on, there are reconstructions. I thought this was really well done”.

‘I found it compelling’

Nihal: “Scott, is it a Must Watch?”

Scott: “It is for me as well, yes.

“I found it compelling. The footage that you see, which Hayley was talking about, is incredibly compelling. I think it's a really good documentary in the fact that it sets up what happened really well.

“You learn about the context, why Greenpeace did these stunts, where they intervened [and] Russia's position in terms of the Arctic and how they now have access, because of the melting ice caps, to so much oil and why they want to drill because it's so pivotal to their economy.

“It also looks at the growing consolidation of Putin's power and influence and control in Russia.

“Then there were surprising moments in this documentary, surreal moments, such as when the ship that they are on gets taken back, they pass the time by playing card games just because they didn't know what's going to happen.

“Also how Paul McCartney was pivotal in regards to their release, because they realised that Paul McCartney, who is very well known in Russia, of course around the world, too but especially in Russia”.

Nihal: “He wrote a song about it”.

Scott: “He wrote an open letter to Putin that then got circulated a lot saying, 'Can the Arctic 30, who are in Russian jail under terms of piracy charges, can these charges get dropped?'

“They were soon replaced with different charges around hooliganism and then were later released”.

Nihal: “Did Sir Paul McCartney's letter have any influence, do we know?”.

Scott: “From my understanding, yes”.

Nihal: “Wow”.

Scott: “It manages to weave in many different subjects and themes. My only slight frustration, same case with the Channel 4 sitcom Queenie from last week, [it's] 30 minutes [long episodes] when episodes really should be an hour. It could be because they've got a deal with other countries to show it in 30 minute instalments. But sometimes it's a bit frustrating that when it is getting into the story, it then immediately comes to an end and you want it just to be a bit more free-flowing”.