The documentary “The Guardians of the Planet” by Jean-Albert Lièvre is released in our theaters today. Narrated by Jean Dujardin, the film takes us on a discovery of these cetaceans.
14 years after The Titanic Syndrome, which warned of the ecological crisis, director Jean-Albert Lièvre returns with the documentary Guardians of the Planet.
In this film, narrated by Jean Dujardin, a humpback whale is stranded on an isolated shore. As a group of men and women organize their rescue, we discover the extraordinary story of cetaceans, citizens of the world’s oceans, essential to the ecosystem of our planet for more than 50 million years.
Responsible shooting
Unlike large productions of animal documentaries, which generally mobilize large teams, the director has chosen to favor mobility with a team reduced to a minimum by working in particular with local professionals. Jean-Albert Lièvre wanted to do this in order to preserve the tranquility of the whales and to minimize the impact of filming on the environment.
He explains : “Whales live all over the world, choices have been made to limit the movement of men and equipment. For example, Mexico was favored because there are 3 species there. The film crews have been reduced to 2-3 people, with technicians as a priority as well as equipment already present on site. So when we left Paris there were no more than three of us, sometimes I left alone, working on the spot with fishermen, divers, “dronists” or local sound engineers.
This production scheme allowed me a certain agility and responsiveness which were essential to make the best images when the shooting conditions were not met. Like changing places when the animals weren’t there or if the weather wasn’t favourable.
Often, a day goes by without having usable images. But sometimes, in a few hours a magical encounter erases several days of failure. You have to be patient, confident, never stress and surround yourself with the best specialists.”
Unique point of view…
The Guardians of the Planet adopts an original point of view: that of the whale. Through the voice-over of Jean Dujardin, it is the cetaceans who tell their story. Visually, the spectators are very close to the animals, so much so that we sometimes have the impression of being in the shoes of one of them. To achieve this result, it was necessary to get as close as possible to these mammals, and having a small team made it possible to be more reactive.
Hunted for many years because humans were afraid of them, whales are still endangered.
While whaling is now largely prohibited, human activities continue to disrupt the existence of these animals, which are necessary for the proper functioning of the planet.
Did you know ?
Whales contribute to the balance of the planet through their excrement. Rich in mineral nutrients, they promote the growth of phytoplankton which, like plants, carry out photosynthesis. This means that it uses light energy, CO2 pumped into the atmosphere and mineral nutrients taken from the ocean to grow… while releasing dioxygen, also called oxygen.
According to scientists, phytoplankton would provide half of the oxygen on our planet, the gas that allows us to breathe.
Because whales stimulate the growth of phytoplankton, they therefore contribute indirectly to the production of oxygen. And that’s not all ! Part of the CO2 absorbed by the phytoplankton will be driven to depth when it dies. So much CO2, the main greenhouse gas, which will be trapped far from the atmosphere for a long time.*
The Guardians of the Planet is to be seen in cinemas this Wednesday, February 22.
*Comments taken from the press kit