Nenets vs Gas: Siberia's Last Nomadic Herders in Jeopardy

Today in Yamal, pastures have given way to gas fields. Growing towns, a railway and an airport – not to mention the deep scars on the landscape caused by the extraction of oil and gas and new, nuclear-powered icebreakers, which will create busy shipping lanes in the Arctic – are all changing the local ecosystem. There’s also the accelerating pace of climate change in the region, which will only be exacerbated by the release of these hydrocarbons. With industry dramatically modifying the landscape and worsening the effects of global warming, the Nenets’ way of life is under threat. 

As the permafrost melts and weather systems stop conforming to our traditional understandings, there is a risk that centuries of history and a whole way of life will be wiped out. While the region itself has been made wealthy by gas, up to 70% of the indigenous population live below the poverty line. They do not directly oppose the government, knowing that they will not win in any confrontation with Moscow. Instead, they try to live alongside the gas exploitation, adapting their routes to the changing conditions.

What shape will the fight between these two worlds take? What will be the price of Russia’s takeover of Arctic wealth? This film offers an exclusive insight into a vanishing way of life, enhanced by stunning aerial footage and unique access to an extraordinary people.