At the top of our planet lies a magical realm of snow and ice – the Arctic. Every year it is transformed by an annual cycle of freeze and thaw. For millennia, this steady seasonal beat has allowed life to thrive. But our planet is warming, upsetting this natural balance and the Arctic is changing faster than anywhere else on Earth. Scientists are now discovering that what happens here, affects us all.

We will all be impacted by a warming Arctic… but none more so than local communities. Working with scientists, together they are shedding light on how changes to the Arctic’s natural balance affects each and every one of us … and they haven’t given up hope. Now it is up to us all to combat global warming and ensure there is a future for this fragile wilderness… Our frozen planet.

Narrated by Benedict Cumberbatch

Photo: SK Films + BBC Earth