Marine Life Essay

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28 September 2010 Essay on the Oceans for the Census of Marine Life An essay prepared on the occasion of the release of the first Census of Marine Life, 4 October 2010, London, United Kingdom by Jacques Perrin Chairman, Galatee Films, producer and co-director (with Jacques Cluzaud) of the film “Oceans” For nearly five years between 1997 and 2001, the filming of Winged Migration took us around the world in the wake of migrating birds. We swiftly covered a world without borders. In 2002 we decided to broaden our steps, this time by accompanying the ocean’s large pelagics, dolphins and fish. It was at that time that we met Jesse Ausubel, who had just seen Winged Migration and who offered us the support of the world’s oceanographic community as well as help from the Census of Marine Life project. This marked the beginning of a long and fruitful collaboration. Our concerns were similar to those of the Census. We wanted to recall the abundance of the seas that lapped our coastal shores before the development of industrial exploitation; we wanted to make today’s assault on marine life palpable; we wanted to arouse a sense of hope by bringing to light the ocean’s extraordinary capacity for resilience. To accomplish this, we chose to evoke wonderment through the force and splendor of images. To sensitize through emotions, which alone can impregnate memory. Therefore, we let the sea itself and its creatures do the speaking. Oceans covers the last wild territory of the planet. Oceans accompanies marine animals, side by side with them, on their transoceanic voyages, whatever their movements, whatever their speed. Oceans allows us to feel, with them, the deterioration of their environment. Our camera is never descriptive. We took the time to come close to each animal; we waited to be accepted in their territory. Our cameramen, veritable impressionist painters of

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