Maneaters: For the Love of Nature
Until approximately 6.5 weeks ago, I only knew two people with an intense interest in Jacques Cousteau: my grandfather Armando and Wes Anderson. Now I know another: my friend and colleague Josh. Recently, on a whim, Josh and his wife, borrowed The Cousteau Odyssey from the library. They soon fell in love with the man, his mission, and his red skull cap. That red skull cap is so distinctly Cousteau that it’s even referenced in the Cousteau Society’s logo.
I’m in awe of people like Jacques Cousteau — those whose appreciation for the beauty in their surroundings so much exceeds the average person’s that they devote their lives to sharing the magnificence of nature with others — enlightening with the lens and all that.
More recently, BBC’s Planet Earth (later aired by the Discovery Channel) showcased the diversity and richness of our planet through some of the most amazing images I’ve ever seen — thanks to the patience, diligence, and skill of all involved with that project, including, of course, Sir David Attenborough. (I wonder if Bill Murray could play him in a movie… Might be tough without a trademark hat.)
The art of nature films is an old one (well, as old as the moving image anyway). I was pleasantly surprised when I found Wild Film History, a site that focuses on the history of wildlife film making. They have information on films that go as far back as 1882! They even have clips for most of the work featured, such as Mzima: Portrait of a Spring from 1969, St. Kilda, Its People and Birds from 1908, and Dassan: An Adventure in Search of Laughter Featuring Nature’s Greatest Little Comedians from 1930 (my favorite of these three).
No comments yet.