Ever since I was a kid, I loved watching David Attenborough’s documentaries about the underwater world. So when an opportunity to see the first WA screening of Ocean with David Attenborough came up, I jumped at the chance.
This documentary, narrated with love by the great man himself, took us on a deeply emotional journey. The first part was downright depressing, graphically showing how humankind is destroying the oceans and ultimately sowing the seeds of our destruction. It’s powerful and at times hard to watch. The superbly filmed documentary spotlights the destruction of complete marine ecosystems by industrial overfishing and marine heatwaves causing massive coral bleaching.
It all seems completely hopeless, but out of all this doom comes more than a glimmer of hope.
This is where David Attenborough’s mastery comes into play. The narrative changes tact and we are led on a positive journey of hope. We get to see the fantastic work being done to resuscitate habitats on the brink of destruction. One of the several heartwarming and inspirational stories in the film details how quickly underwater forests of kelp can recover if left alone.
Ocean with David Attenborough ends on a mainly hopeful note but you are not deluded into thinking all is well. There is still a massive amount that needs to be done to save the oceans. However, we left the theatre with hope if the solutions in the film are put into action.
In summary, this film is a thought provoking and visual masterpiece. I encourage everyone to see it.
Another great reason for Perthites to catch it is executive produced by Minderoo Pictures. This “social impact film enterprise” is an offshoot of the Minderoo Foundation, established by Dr Andrew Forrest AO and Nicola Forrest AO.
Ocean will officially be released on 8th May 2025, coinciding with Sir David Attenborough’s 99th birthday. Luna Palace Cinemas will be hosting special Q & A sessions – check out their website for more information.