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Wild Talk

Questions for our filmmakers

Five Questions for Filmmakers: Whale Wisdom

3/15/2019

1 Comment

 
We reached out to our festival filmmakers to ask them five questions about the experience of making their films.

Whale Wisdom Trailer from Jackson Wild on Vimeo.


What inspired this story?

Director and Cameraman Rick Rosenthal:
After filming whales for many years, I felt it was time to tell a different story- one that would focus on whale intelligence, and ask the question- how smart are whales?


Were there any surprising or meaningful experiences you want to share?


RR: Yes. We did not expect to film (1) Humpback whales outsmarting humans to get what they want, (2) Gray whales surfing, (3) Sperm whales playing ball and (4) Killer whales catching the dangerous Whiptail sting ray.

Picture
Rick Rosenthal films a large group of male sperm whales. Sperm whales live in matriarchies. When males reach puberty, they leave and join other males. © TMFS / Wild Logic Kai Benson

What impact do you hope this film will have?


RR: I hope that we will finally accept the fact that there are highly intelligent species in the ocean that are capable of figuring out complex problems, with feelings not unlike our own. There is much more to whale behavior than just instinct. Learning and passing on knowledge is a key component of whale behavior and it’s one of our definitions of culture.


Describe some of the challenges faced while making this film.


RR: One of the main challenges were uncertainties with weather, especially in working out in the open ocean. There were also difficulties in getting reliable information about the location of the whales, and challenges with having the budget to spend enough time in the field to capture the behavior.

Picture
This young sperm whale calf was filmed in the waters off the Azores. He was curious about cameraman Rick Rosenthal’s kayak and the photographer. © TMFS / Wild Logic Kai Benson

​What drove you as a filmmaker to focus on our oceans and marine life?


RR: I have spent more than 50 years doing research and filming marine life, so it was a natural to tackle this subject.

1 Comment
Mark Benjamin link
3/25/2019 08:32:07 am

We both have that 50 year history. Yours of course is so salty and mine is more asphalt inter city, but five years ago i switched to marine conservation and will never go back. The ocean is not to big to fail (Sylvia said that) and I plan to work hard to stop this destruction.

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  • Home
  • About
    • Get Involved >
      • Donate
      • Become a Partner
      • Volunteer
      • Internships
    • Board of Directors
    • Advisory Council
    • Our Team
    • News Room
    • Shop
    • Contact Us
  • Collective
    • Narration Writing Masterclass
    • Action Coalitions >
      • 2021 Action Coalitions
      • 2020 Action Coalitions
    • Gear Hub
    • Virtual Event Details
  • Summit
    • 2022 Summit >
      • Attend
      • 2022 Partners
      • Lodging
      • About Burgenland
    • 2021 Summit >
      • 2021 Summit Sessions
      • Program & Schedule
      • Speakers
      • 2021 Partners
    • Archive >
      • 2020 Virtual Summit >
        • 2019 Program & Schedule
        • Speakers
        • 2020 Partners
      • 2020 Summer Live Sessions
      • 2019 Summit >
        • 2019 Session Recordings
        • 2019 Programming
        • 2019 Exhibitors >
          • Exhibitor Workshops
          • XR Demos
        • 2019 Partners
      • 2017 Festival & Summit
      • 2015 Festival & Summit
      • 2013 Festival & Summit
      • 2011 Film Competition
  • Awards
    • Media Awards >
      • 2022 Media Awards >
        • Jury Application
      • 2021 Media Awards
      • 2020 Media Awards
      • 2019 Media Awards >
        • 2019 Judges
    • Special Jury Recognitions >
      • 2022 Special Jury
      • 2021 Special Jury
    • World Wildlife Day Film Showcase >
      • Recovering Species
      • Forests
      • Biodiversity >
        • Biodiversity: Final Jury
      • Living Oceans >
        • Ocean Finalists & Winners
        • Living Oceans Final Jury
      • Big Cats
      • Elephants
    • Legacy Award
    • Rising Star Award
    • On Tour >
      • Films
      • Schedule
      • Host an Event
      • Tour FAQ
  • Frontiers
    • Media Lab >
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        • 2021 Media Lab Fellows
        • 2021 Media Lab: South Africa
        • 2021 Media Lab Mentors
      • 2020 Media Lab >
        • 2020 Media Lab Fellows
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      • 2019 Media Lab >
        • 2019 Media Lab Fellows
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      • 2022 Summit Fellowship
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    • African Conservation Voices >
      • Kenya
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    • Partner Labs >
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  • Blog