April 22nd is Earth Day again, during which numerous activities related to climate protection take place every year. Impressive images of nature can make it particularly clear how important it is to counteract global warming and to do something for the planet. These documentaries offer unique landscapes, majestic animals and a look into the depths of the sea.
One of the best-known nature documentaries of all is probably “Planet Earth” from 2006. Having won several Emmys, including for the best documentary, the visually stunning BBC series is considered a real classic. In the original, wildlife filmmaker and naturalist Sir David Attenborough (96) tells the story, in the US version Hollywood star Sigourney Weaver (73). “Planet Earth” can be seen in the stream, as well as the successor “Planet Earth II” from 2016, among others at Discovery.
“Our Planet” comes from the makers of “Planet Earth”. Once again, Sir David Attenborough leads through the series in the English-language original. Produced for Netflix, recordings were made in more than 50 countries on all continents – from the deep sea to the jungle to the frozen desert. According to the streaming service, over 600 team members spent more than 3,500 days filming the footage.
The French director and biologist Luc Jacquet (55) observed emperor penguins for a year for “The Journey of the Penguins”. In the film, which won the Oscar for best documentary, he shows the dangerous life of the animals in Antarctica. It was not for nothing that the production became a cinema success in 2005. There was criticism of a dubbed version in which the animals speak like humans. But there are also versions in the style of classic documentaries. “The Journey of the Penguins” can currently be streamed via the bookable Arthaus channel on Amazon Prime Video.
Apple TV is also partly dedicated to the wonders of nature around the world. The recently published ten-part series “Giants of the Animal Kingdom” is available there. Filmed over approximately four and a half years, it focuses on some of the world’s largest animal species, including hippos, brown bears and gray whales. Marvel star Tom Hiddleston (42) can be heard as the narrator.
Of course, “National Geographic” is also in good hands on a list of impressive documentaries about flora and fauna – in this case the documentary “Jane” from 2017, which is currently available from Disney. Directed by Brett Morgen (54), the film portrays world-renowned behavioral scientist Jane Goodall (89) and includes previously unseen archive footage of her work with chimpanzees.
