“I think we have a very fortunate time living a very fortunate – technology that can enable us to do things and we want to use it with some sense of responsibility for the next generation. And it is absolutely the case that animal species are disappearing and it’s quite possible that things that I filmed 20 years ago in 30 years time will not exist.” (David Attenborough)
Without question, Sir David Attenborough is the preeminent naturalist and wildlife documentary filmmaker of our age.
Erudite, informed, enthusiastic and passionate, he has documented the infinite variety of wildlife on Earth in spectacularly impressive ways that have helped people everywhere to understand how rare and precious life on our unique blue planet is, and how important it is to make its preservation an urgent priority.
Michael Stevens, the host of popular YouTube channel Vsauce, which serves up “videos relating to various scientific and philosophical topics, as well as gaming, technology, culture, and other topics of general interest” (wikipedia) recently sat down with the great man himself to discuss the upcoming epic BBC documentary series Planet Earth II, and the pressing importance of documenting the natural world before much of it, sadly, disappears.
It’s a fascinating discussion that touches on the similarities between and animals, and how much of our perception of the world around us influences how we interpret animal behaviour, and what Sir David Attenborough thinks he can impart to up-and-coming wildlife filmmakers.
Planet Earth II premieres on BBC One on Sunday, 13 November, 2016 and on BBC America on January 28, 2017.
(source: Laughing Squid)