Join us for a screening of Arctic Alchemy, which follows Alaska adventurer and climate scientist Roman Dial on a research expedition to find the source of a mysterious phenomenon that is poisoning watersheds. Along the journey, Dial reckons with fatherhood, personal tragedy, and the power of the wilderness to both break us and bring us to life.
The film is followed by a director’s Q&A session with Colin Arisman and Roman Dial. Free, registration required.
This program is presented in support of the exhibition Roman Dial: Crossings, on view now through February 15, 2026.
About the speakers
Colin Arisman is a homesteader, harvester, and documentary director who lives with his wife and creative partner, Elsa, in Alaska. His visual storytelling documents human connections to the natural world, with a focus on outdoor recreation, ecology, and conservation. Colin’s films have received accolades, including “Best Short Film” at the Banff Mountain Film Festival and numerous Vimeo Staff Picks. He is the founder of Wild Confluence Media, a documentary production company that amplifies grassroots activism through impact storytelling.
Roman Dial, Ph.D., is a mathematician, biologist, and adventurer. Over the last 45 years, Roman has spent more than 550 days in the Brooks Range, travelling more than 7,000 miles on foot and by packraft. Dial has written two books, Packrafting! An Introduction and How-to Guide and The Adventurer’s Son. He and his wife Peggy have an adult daughter, Jazz. All three live in Anchorage, Alaska, where he retired as a professor after a 32-year career at Alaska Pacific University.