67 years after his first animal show on television, David Attenborough’s latest film is released. The British biologist with the world famous voice is in A Life On Our Planet a lot more activist than in previous films.
The documentary is about Attenborough’s life and how nature and climate have changed in the same period. He addresses the viewers directly. “We need to understand that what we’ve done in the past has damaged nature. We need to stop that behavior, we know how to do it. That’s what this movie is trying to say,” Attenborough said in an interview with News hour.
See (and especially hear) what Attenborough’s message is? Then view the special below. Sir David Attenborough warns of climate change, but hopes. He sees the Netherlands as an example for the rest of the world:
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“The film made me realize for the first time what a unique, happy life I have suffered,” said Attenborough. “But I also realize that my life took place during a special turning point for humanity.”
He says that when he started filming, the world was better. More animal species are now threatened with extinction and the climate has become much more polluted. “We have to convince people and their political leaders worldwide that something really needs to be done. Otherwise we will be heading for disaster.”
(On) prophet of salvation
In his earlier films he tried to get viewers into action by showing “how terribly beautiful everything is”, but in his new film “he has fallen from his faith and become a prophet of doom”, says fellow biologist and presenter Midas Dekkers. . He’s already seen the movie.
Sir David used to make quite an impression on me with his confession of faith that you should not be an activist. Now he looks straight into the camera and addresses the viewer: ‘if you listen to me, everything will be fine’. I am also a prophet of doom. but a prophet of salvation, that is unbearable. “
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Real nature is in danger of being buried under the technology of nature filmmaking. But it is nice to see.
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Perhaps Attenborough was too naive in his older films, says Dekkers. “His old adage was: if we show people how beautiful nature is, they will automatically revolt if someone destroys nature. Then they will automatically do sensible, green things. But that did not happen.”
Attenborough himself acknowledges this: “I didn’t expect things to go seriously wrong until about a decade ago.”
The Netherlands as an example country?
In the film Attenborough praises Dutch agriculture and horticulture for its high yields on little land. Dekkers is critical of these scenes. “To my surprise, he presents the Netherlands as a guide country for how we will ever have to get out of that environmental crisis. He says ‘more nature is needed, so there will soon be less room for agriculture.’ left to sing. “
And aren’t the beautiful nature images in the film a bit too perfect? Dekkers: “Because his films sell so well, budgets are so high and the techniques are so terribly perfect that they no longer really capture what happens in nature. You see such slick recordings. No squirrel can jump from branch to branch. or it’s in slow motion. “
“Real nature threatens to become buried under the technology of nature filming. And that cannot work out well in the long run, I think. But it is nice to see.”
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