From the dark belly of the ocean rises Ascension Island, a rocky outpost in the Atlantic Ocean born from volcanic eruptions and sediments accumulated over millions of years. While its formation feels like an act of cosmic creation, much of its landscape is human-made. During the Victorian era, British botanists brought plants to be cultivated locally, transforming a once barren land into a green oasis. Using this example as a starting point, Kevin Brennan and Laurence Durkin’s unhurried documentary contemplates the evolution of “terraforming,” a much-theorised ecological process in which humans alter a hostile environment to their needs.

Visually, this film unfolds in a series of static vignettes, which largely capture the natural topography of Ascension. Cracked lava fields and golden sands give way to lush forests, conjuring a striking colour palette of black, yellow, and green. The images are poetic, showcasing a stunning variety of flora and fauna; people are rarely seen on screen, their absence adding a touch of eeriness to the atmosphere.

The human point of view is presented mostly on an aural level, through the use of voiceover. Laid over Ascension’s unique landscape, conversations with geological experts muse on the relationship between humans and nature. Unfortunately, many of these discussions lean towards the philosophical and speculative, offering little historical and practical insight into the pitfalls of terraforming. None of the interviewees are from the global south, which is also problematic, considering the primarily imperialist impulse behind the desire to reshape and conquer this so-called uncharted territory.

In fact, without concrete examples and evidence, this film inadvertently reinforces simplistic binaries devoid of sociopolitical nuance and, without analytical rigour, the beautiful cinematography is also rendered hollow, resembling not much more than a decorative slideshow.

• Terraforma is on True Story from 13 March.