Sometimes it is jokingly said that the earth should actually be called water, after all, the surface of our planet consists of a good 70 percent of oceans. The ecosystems of the world's oceans are accordingly important – a realization that is surprisingly only slowly becoming through. Hopefully not too late, because a central concern of the visually spectacular documentary “Ocean with David Attenborough“It is to draw attention to the enormous destruction that man does by overfishing in the oceans. We are actually about to destroy our own livelihood.
With the now almost 100 -year -old David Attenborough, who not only provides his unmistakable voice, but also acts in front of the camera, the directors Toby Nowlan, Keith Scholey and Colin But then also fell at hand, whose explanations and explanations are often listened to, even if it often threatens to be drowned out by the badly bombastic and pathetic music.
“Ocean” again provides massive spectacular shots as you are used to by BBC nature documentation.
In June 2025, the third UN Ocean Conference will take place in Nice in southern France, which is entirely committed to protecting the world's oceans. “Ocean”, a documentary, the concerns of which are due to awaken attention to protect the oceans. It is of course not to be assessed for the layperson whether the conference is actually the very last chance, as is dramatically claimed in the film. However, after the 90 minutes of “Ocean”, the protection of the oceans should urgently be given more attention can hardly be denied after the 90 minutes.
Between the Caribbean and Great Britain, Hawaii and Antarctica was shot for two years. This resulted in spectacular shots of life under water, fish and whales, plankton and reefs, which were filmed in high -resolution digital images of amazing quality. To the well-known narrative voice David Attenboroughs, which has become a kind of favorite grandfather of natural view, for many, for many of his countless documentary films that have been created for the British BBC, you can see swarms of tuna, dolphins, krils, strangely glowing ferns, sad-green fields from Seegras, colorful reef and plankton Extreme. However, there is a big difference to classic BBC documentary series such as “Planet Earth” or “Our Earth” in “Ocean”: the presence of people.
99 and not a bit quiet
Older BBC documentary series, but also other natural films, mostly showed the phenomena of nature in isolation from human civilization. Rare animal species or strange plants were filmed in their habitat, the large whole, i.e. the complex relationships on earth, but usually did not address. That has changed in recent years and is now also evident in “Ocean.” On the one hand through the presence of David Attenborough in front of the camera. In his English homeland, the fabulous 99 -year -old researcher at the sea or sits at the sea on May 8th, the starting day of the film or sits at the desk and reports on new knowledge of research.
On the other hand, fishermen occur in longer passages, which report drastic, threatening changes. On the English island of Arran, but also in Liberia in West Africa, there were very different regions, which, however, have the same problems: industrial fishing. With gigantic fishing nets, they roam the bottom of the sea and start everything that stands in their way. Especially fish and other sea creatures that end up dead in the nets, but are not at all usable afterwards. “Ocean” shows impressive images of the destruction caused by these industrial methods, which also becomes more of an agitatoric pamphlet than it was used to earlier (BBC) natural documentation.
David Attenborough is steeply approaching 100, but still does not miss the opportunity to continue to stand in front of the camera for his beliefs.
In the past, they were consumed as often meditative worlds of image, which showed unknown, colorful, but also homely -looking insights into nature and wildlife, this is no longer so easy with “Ocean”. There are also impressive pictures to see enough here, but the main focus is no longer just because of the mere showing of the beauty of nature, but on how man destroys it. “Ocean” wants to educate, also instruct, call for protest against forms of industrial fishing. Sometimes the chosen tone looks a bit lurid, so the narrative threatens to drift into the apocalyptic. On the other hand, there are passages in which hope is given that show how quickly the oceans, reefs and fish populations can recover if only the necessary space is given to them.
Only around three percent of the oceans are protected. However, researchers emphasize that it should be at least a good third to give the seas the opportunity to regenerate, and to give fish stocks a chance to recover in the end to help people survive. Not only because it is nice to sit by the sea, or fish is an essential part of the diet of billions of people, but also because enormous amounts of oxygen are produced in the seas and harmful CO₂ is bound. In view of this meaning of the seas, the agitatoric tone, which is often struck in “Ocean”, can be forgiven. The time for a mere representation of the beauty of nature is probably finally over.
Conclusion: Between meditative natural documentation and agitatorial cinema, which wants to spur to commit, “Ocean” moves, says of David Attenborough. The almost hundred -year -old gives the concern to protect the world's oceans, a special authority – and thus helps to achieve a successful balance between spectacular images and enlightening intention.