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If there’s anyone who can make the world sit up and listen, it’s Sir David Attenborough.
The 94-year-old naturalist and broadcaster says the life he has had as “extraordinary and fortunate”.
It’s one that has seen him visit every continent on the globe and make some of the most impactful TV series in our history, including Planet Earth and Blue Planet for the BBC.
Now comes a new film, David Attenborough: A Life On Our Planet – which serves as his witness statement for the natural world.
“I think we are at a crucial moment,” he says.
“Without being too portentous on this, I think humanity is at a crossroads, and the natural world is really under serious, serious threat and the consequences could be apocalyptic.”
A Life On Our Planet premieres in cinemas across the globe next week, and will later be available on Netflix.
A revealing and powerful first-hand account, it sees Sir David reflect, for the first time, upon both the defining moments of his lifetime as a naturalist and the devastating changes he has witnessed.
In conversation with director Johnny Hughes, he says he was “asked very clever, very perceptive questions, and got me arguing about certain things”.
Watch the trailer here:
The film starts and ends in Chernobyl, Ukraine, and the team also travelled to the Maasai Mara in Kenya.
It does – without spoiling the ending – also end on quite a positive note, with Sir David saying that there is still time and humans can change things.
So, how does he think we can all play our part?
“The most important thing that we can do at this particular stage in the game is to put in the right politicians into positions of power who will say something about saving the planet, and to be quite vocal, as part of their electorate, that we demand that they actually do something and to convince them that we are prepared to take an increase in tax if necessary, to make sure that something is going to happen.”
The feature, created by award-winning natural history film-makers Silverback Films and global environmental organisation WWF, had it release delayed due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Colin Butfield, WWF’s executive producer for the film, said: “For decades, David has brought the natural world to the homes of audiences worldwide, but there has never been a more significant moment for him to share his own story and reflections. This film coincides with a monumental year for environmental action as world leaders make critical decisions on nature and climate. It sends a powerful message from the most inspiring and celebrated naturalist of our time.”
David Attenborough: A Life On Our Planet premieres in Kent cinemas on Monday, September 28, featuring an exclusive conversation with Sir David Attenborough and Sir Michael Palin. The film launches on Netflix on Sunday, October 4.
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