As David Attenborough releases his feature- length film Oceans, the broadcaster left the producers as well as himself in tears with his most important message yet
As Sir David Attenborough turns 99, the wildlife legend has shared many messages over the years – but his recent documentary has the “most important” yet.
Oceans With David Attenborough will be released in cinemas this week to mark his 99th birthday – as it mirrors his life, along with 100 years of discovery of the seas.
The broadcaster urged people to look after the seas to help save our planet, as his final words on saving the world’s oceans brought him to tears, and he hopes his film could help protect the planet from climate change.
Oceans took two years to film, as it explores coral reefs, kelp forests and the vast oceans, as Sir David shares why having healthy oceans is so important in keeping the planet safe and stable.
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Toby Nowlan, one of Ocean’s directors, told Sky News that the film was “very different” to any of his previous work.
“Nothing has come close to how important this film is. I remember sitting on a very cold beach off Sussex, filming with him, and we were doing the opening and closing words for the film. It was such a poignant moment. They were the most powerful words I’ve ever heard him say,” he said.
In the film, Sir David shares a poignant message about how, after almost 100 years on Earth, he believes the planet’s oceans are the most important area to protect.
Nowlan shared: “And if we save the ocean, we save our world. It really hit me and, yeah, I welled up. There’s been a lot of doom and gloom over the last few years – we want the take home to be: if we save our ocean, we can make a huge difference for our climate, for our fisheries, for conservation, for food security.”
The director said that this message is the “biggest” yet from Attenborough, and it’s also ultimately one of hope, too. The film is one he believes could play a role in saving biodiversity and protecting the planet from climate change.
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Sir David takes viewers back to his first scuba dive in 1957 on the Great Barrier Reef. He said: “I was so taken aback by the spectacle before me I forgot – momentarily – to breathe.”
Devastatingly, there has been a catastrophic decline in life with the broadcasting veteran noting: “We are almost out of time.” Sir David even revealed the state of the ocean almost made him lose hope for future life on our planet.
However, what has kept him from his despair has been the “most remarkable discovery of all” that the ocean can “recover faster than we had ever imagined”.
The key message in his film is that all is not lost, as he hopes it will spur leaders to take action. “The ocean can bounce back to life,” Sir David said. “If left alone it may not just recover but thrive beyond anything anyone alive has ever seen.”
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