Ice ice baby

“The sea is like little needles in my skin”, says Johanna Nordblad over beautifully shot scenes of surface ice being drilled as her swimming hole is prepared.

Directed by Ian Derry for Inigo, and produced by Park Village, The Ice Queen is a gripping short film that captures the visceral thrill of Nordblad’s chilly dips. 

Filmed on location in the serene landscapes of Southern Finland, the film touches on the science enabling Johanna to calculate and manage the huge risks involved in diving for 103 meters, under a frozen lake, on a single breath.

Nordblad began cold water immersion therapy following a doctor’s advice after a bad break left her with years of leg pain. After two months of cold swimming the pain had gone, but the lure of the fun freezy plunges continued. She is now a world record holder in ice freediving. 

Dive into more super-cool footage here in the behind-the-scenes video.