“Ghosts of the Arctic” was the type of passion project that my boyhood dreams were made of,” says Abraham Joffe, director of the recent Vimeo Staff Pick. But it was a hard-won battle.

Together with cinematographer Dom West and photographer Joshua Holko of Untitled Film Works, Joffe trekked over 120 miles per day in the Arctic region of Svalbard to capture a glimpse of the elusive polar bear. They spent 16-hour days in the frozen tundras, braving -30º and enduring frostbite. Often, their equipment failed; they suffered the death of at least two cameras and had to find creative solutions to keep the others alive and running.

If you want to learn more about the film and the hardships the team endured, check out the full-length interview on No Film School.