Many of you will remember Lars Aby, a great Swedish filmmaker and friend to many people in the industry. Sadly he passed away earlier this month after a valiant fight with cancer.

He produced many films over his career including ‘Vision Man’, which won the top award at the 1999 Jackson Hole film festival. This film was a collaboration between Lars and William Long, both valued friends and important team members of the crew that I worked with during the filming of ‘Realm of the Great White Bear’, a NGT film about polar bears. We spent many months traveling with Lars in Svalbard. He acted as guide, mentor and above all else a friend that would always have a fascinating story to entertain us on long Arctic nights.

Many of us benefited from his years of experience and appreciation of the Arctic. He will be missed by many, but his skill as a filmmaker, his generosity, wisdom and sense of humor will mean that his memory will live on.

David Wright (Producer/Cameraman)