Sara Dosa’s New Documentary ‘Time and Water’ Explores Love, Loss, and Nature’s Urgent Call

“The future we were warned about is no longer distant, it is here.” This is the message that Oscar-nominated director Sara Dosa shares in her newest documentary Time and Water.

The film unfolds through archival material and the writings of Icelandic author Andri Snær Magnason, crafting an expansive narrative centered on generational memory and humanity’s relationship with nature. Dosa, previously nominated for a BAFTA and an Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature Film for Fire and Love, focuses on Magnason’s family ties and the profound loss of Iceland’s glaciers—titans of ice that are disappearing alongside his grandparents.

The audience is transported through time, witnessing the indelible mark humans leave on the world and one another. The film’s creation was a deeply collaborative effort, built on Magnason’s novel On Time and Water. “We really started to get into the themes of the film, of his book, of his archives, to figure out how we could work with his book in a way where the film would be kind of like a cinematic sibling, but not an adaptation,” Dosa explains.

Describing the process as a “team sport,” Dosa emphasizes constant communication with Magnason to shape a script that authentically captured his voice. The result is an intimate reflection on Icelandic history, its impact on modern family bonds, and pressing environmental concerns.

Dosa’s fascination with Magnason’s story stems from a recurring theme in her work: “I’m always drawn to stories about how humans are finding meaning in nature and relationships with nature—specifically stories that show life force or sentience of our natural world.” Yet Time and Water transcends the human-nature dynamic, exploring the love that emerges from this relationship and the care it inspires.

The film illustrates that environmental stewardship and human connection are inseparable—caring for the planet is intertwined with caring for one another.

“I deeply love our natural world. I deeply love humans, despite our flaws, which are many. But I think that that’s something that just guides me personally… It’s not something I ever really intentionally thought, I’m going to set out to make love stories.”

Love has long been a cornerstone of Dosa’s documentaries, whether intentional or not. Her directorial approach infuses warmth and hope even when tackling profound, often bleak, subject matter.

“There is something radical about love, especially in a time that is so polarizing,” Dosa says. “Wherever we can center love and joy amid the doom and the apocalyptic stories abound, I think it could inspire hope… I think it can give a sense of a light in the dark to keep people working toward the change that we so badly need.”

Magnason’s personal story resonates deeply, grounding the film in both emotional and environmental urgency.