Terra A film directed by Yann Arthus-Bertra nd Micha el Pitiot Narrated by Original Music Vanessa Pa radis Armand Ama r Terra, An Ode to Humanity

TERRA tells the story of life. Yann Arthus Bertrand and Michael Pitiot reveal the incredible saga of our living planet. From the first lichen to the gigantic forests, monkeys of the jungle to the mythic animals of the savannah. Over barely 10,000 years, life on Earth has been profoundly affected by the incredible development of humanity. But mankind is now increasingly isolated. How have our relations with other living beings changed so much? What do we still see, or notice, of the living world around us? TERRA is a journey through the history of life forms, a quest for the animal within us. For true humanity.

TERRA is not a wildlife documentary. Nor is it a militant investigative documentary. TERRA is an essay, in the literary sense, on the human species and its relationship with other living beings.

By proposing that we once again treat wildlife with the respect it deserves, TERRA shows its credentials as an ode to the human species, a humanist and deliberately positive film,openly advocating that humanity is still capable of “getting back to basics”.

Synopsis

We no longer see the wild, we dream of it. It’s an age-old fascination, visible in the paintings of the Chauvet Cave. But this dream is today disappearing, vanishing in factory smoke and industrial smog.

The Jungle Book From the end of the wild...

Life first appeared on Earth 4 billion years ago. Traces 7 billion men, and their domesticated animals, have of this primitive life are now few and far between. But pushed back the frontiers of the wild world. Only isolated some can still be found in the heart of the Amazon jungle, pockets still subsist, nature “reserves”, where the last of starting with the lichens which helped form the Earth’s the big wild animals are safeguarded. This nature exerts soil. Or with the role of astonishing fungi, a tangle of an odd fascination over mankind, capable, as it is, of both spreading roots, the birth of plants and, later, the rise of protecting and massacring it. But caught between the loss trees and forests. Life on Earth came about through these of natural habitats and poaching, wildlife is on the brink plants, and these mushrooms. Subsequently, came the pi- of extinction. Its very rarity has almost become the object of speculation. oneers of animal life: reptiles, birds and mammals. A time of insects, a time of monkeys, of tools and culture. The ...to the end of Man Amazonian Jungle Book contains every chapter of life on Earth. Every species lives alongside all the others. Carried away by incredible technological progress, boosted by finance, Man has turned his back on nature almost to breaking-point: pesticides, GMOs, climate Man change... we are now facing the possibility of a Sixth Extinction on a planetary scale. When man appeared, nothing would be the same again. A being with insatiable curiosity, capable of representing A plea for respect the world, of painting its image on cave walls. Above all, man proved to be mystical. His awareness of life and The next revolution will be neither technological nor political. Perhaps it will quite simply involve respect, a death was a heavy burden. And this mysticism would sense of ethics, and love for other life-forms. We may lead him to sacrifice life itself. come to remember that wild-life is not opposed to our civilisation. “Wild” merely designates the inhabitants of And yet human civilisation owed its unstoppable rise to the forest. every other living being: domesticated plants and animals propelled mankind ever upwards and onwards... to the What if a renewed respect for wild-life could ultimately extent of changing the face of planet Earth. make us more human? © Li Gang Intentions

Terra calls upon a range of wildlife filmmakers and animal husbandry, the birth of civilisation from around the world, all recognised for and of beliefs with a human face. Soon, the their particular talent, each one specialising industrial age would make man the planet’s in a specific field or region, a behaviour or a absolute master, investing him with the power of living group. And yet TERRA is not a wildlife life and death over everything that existed. documentary. Nor is it a militant investigative documentary. TERRA is an essay, in the literary The story itself is not that original: it’s the sense, on the human species and its relationship story of man’s life on Earth. So why tell it with other living beings. again? Because it is vital today that we wake up to what is happening: climate change, Its main thrust concerns a naturalist history of over-fishing, excessive animal production, mankind on our living planet, Earth. It looks back intensive agriculture, the abuse and pollution of on the unique destiny of a species which, among resources… such refrains have become clichés, millions of others, has evolved and emerged but are nonetheless appallingly true, and involve from the many phases of Life’s development on the same almost inevitable consequences: Earth, highlighting, as it progresses, a number humanity is heading for disaster, at full speed. A film to believe in humanity of remarkable talents indigenous to certain life- But the public doesn’t want to accept this simple forms… But in reality, the narrator – subjectively observation. It’s too much to take. And it’s not How do we now wish to regard what lives around us ? The force of embodying humanity itself – will gradually divert easy to understand the initial signs of a major TERRA resides in this very question. The film will show how our this natural history to reflect on how the species change on Earth when those signals are mixed. own image and representation of nature has always been decisive in regards and represents the world. How Man first How can we believe in global warming when human history on planet Earth, and how it can still change the course discovered nature, how he became aware of New York City is buried under unprecedented of events to come. the world around him, and how this vision has snowstorms? If animals are suffering, why don’t evolved over thousands of years. And, in return, they express this? How can maritime resources What if, within each human being, within each human heart, there how it has influenced the course of history itself. be running low when the oceans are so vast? was a way of changing things? And what if, by clearly understanding In the disastrous climate of humanity’s failings the importance of representation in human society and by grasping At the dawn of human existence, nature and the concerning so many obligations and deadlines what effect a change in that representation could have on the living living world were a dangerous mystery, a vast and (climatic, social, war, resources), an umpteenth world, we could once again believe in our own future? The key is to draw on the extraordinary human ability to anticipate, and to hostile world where only survival was a priority. ‘the end is nigh’ announcement gets very short revive an innate empathy, respect and emotional attachment to the As the species evolved, and consciousness and shrift from the man in the street. very simplest aspects of life on Earth. In a word, very much of our more sophisticated tools emerged, man’s true age, TERRA’s ambition is to be ‘an ode to the human species’; a film characteristics appeared: arts, mythology and the And so… we close our eyes. That power comes openly advocating that humanity is still capable of ‘getting back to creation of divinities, the discovery of agriculture from how we choose to represent things. basics’. A humanist message, that is very deliberately positive.

Opening and closing our eyes

The relationship between man and animals nowadays is one of as their masters (63 million pets in , for 65 million human Closing our eyes… helps us not to see, or not to perceive nature curious paradoxes. On one hand, man breeds billions of creatures inhabitants). as it really is. Over time, man has applied this same ability to in abominable conditions, and then slaughters them en masse blinker his vision of so many other life-forms : mass hunting, to provide food, or merely to get rid of them. On the other hand, The coming of the industrial age in breeding and slaughtering driving certain species to extinction, selection for productivity never in history have people been so fond of domesticated changed the situation profoundly. To raise, kill and butcher 45 purposes, elimination of bothersome bio-diversity, laboratory animals. Dogs and cats, as well as horses, pigs, rabbits, frogs, rats, billion animals to feed 7 billion people requires an approach akin massacres, genetic tweaking, mutant species… At the rate science ferrets, snakes, hens, tigers, panthers… millions of animals, mostly to a ‘final solution’: with genetic manipulation, killing machines is ‘advancing’, we’re not far now from seeing scientists produce (gold)fish, have become toys and playthings, four-legged friends or and huge economic stakes, we have to close our eyes, inspired by a modified humans. And should we also close our eyes to that ? true household companions. They are often as equally numerous form of moral schizophrenia.

Seeing things differently

Changing the way we see things means recalling that religions cooperation among species. (100,000 billion bacteria live within a embankments, neglected fields, forgotten forests, military zones, and myths were born out of man’s sense of fragility with regard to human body, and are vital for it to function. They even outnumber deserts, open seas, inaccessible peaks, frozen expanses… This Third nature. The passing of time has affected that sentiment, but not the human cells ten to one). This organic cooperation, opposed to the Landscape also entails « Third Species »: all the marginal beings, requirements of nature, which are still ever-present. It is likely that predation model, enables us to consider the question of degrowth out of sight and out of mind for humans, of no immediate interest, humanity will have to embrace a more organic form of spirituality in in a new light. ‘Homo homini lupus est’…. Man is a wolf to his fellow today form a resource that could yet ensure our future. Whatever the future, closer to the living world, to guarantee its own survival. man. How were wolves regarded when this was first written? man has not touched is now the ultimate genetic reservoir. So let us regard the wilderness that is still around us with respect. This will be Changing the way we see things also means reconsidering what we Let us take a fresh look at the biodiversity that lies beneath our feet. TERRA’s final message, perhaps the greatest promise we can make. regard as model ways of life. Predation or perpetual growth are not Certain biologists think that the « Third Landscape » represents the only models on Earth. Life benefits from symbiosis, the intricate our biological future: this comprises roadsides, wastelands, urban

Michael Pitiot

Michael Pitiot, born on 14 July 1970, is a French writer, traveller, sailor literary and journalistic voyage entitled Portes d’Afrique, for . Shortly afterwards he met the ecologist and photographer Yann and producer of documentary films. Arthus Bertrand, with whom he co-produced Planet Ocean, a In 2003, he filmed a road movie through the former Soviet empire in feature-length documentary about man and the ocean. This film, Michael Pitiot shot his first reportages in Zaïre in 1991. He was then Super8 with Laurent Lepesant that took him to Afghanistan. In 2004 produced thanks to the support of the Omega brand, won the Best recruited as audiovisual attaché at the French Embassy in , Cinematography Award at the Monterey Blue Festival (California, he wrote an account of a voyage to Bhutan to discover its temple responsible for cooperation with radio and television in Ho Chi Minh USA). City, a position he occupied from 1993 to 1998. carpenter-builders with the illustrator Cloé Fontaine, who later became his wife. This was the first film produced during a three-year collaboration From 1998 to 2000, he travelled back to France aboard a Chinese which also gave birth to two new feature-length documentaries with junk christened Sao Mai and specially built for the journey, with Starting in 2006, he wrote a film script with journalist Daniel Yann Arthus-Bertrand: Méditérranée in 2013, which looks at the Marielle Laheurte and a team of 30 volunteers from widely Duhand on the forgotten history of the «Poilus d’Alaska» (huskies) development of human civilisations in the Mediterranean basin, and differing backgrounds (including the former naval lieutenant Pierre in 1915. The same year he joined Tara Expéditions to develop TERRA, scheduled for release in December 2015. He also wrote the Guillaume, also known as «Crabe-Tambour»). He produced a film Algérie Vue du Ciel directed by Yann Arthus-Bertrand, which documentaries of its mission. In parallel, in 2009 he published documentary for France2 and wrote two accounts of this expedition. was aired on in June 2015. a history of piracy, illustrated by Ségolène Marbach. In 2010, From 2001 to 2003, alongside senior reporter Arnaud de la Grange, he produced a documentary series in four episodes for France In parallel, Michael Pitiot has devoted his time to writing fictional he organised a circumnavigation of Africa with 12 well-known writers Télévisions on the Tara Oceans mission, co-written with Thierry projects and adapting the story of the «poilus» of Alaska in comic- including Erik Orsenna, Jean-Marie Gustave Le Clézio and Jean- Ragobert and Frédéric Lossignol and with original music by Gérard book format. Christophe Ruffin. He also directed a documentary series on this Cohen-Tannugi. Yann Arthus-Bertrand

Yann Arthus-Bertrand, born in 1946, has always been passionately on the state of our planet, which was viewed by almost 600 million in our planet’s ecosystem and demonstrate their now strategic and interested in the world of animals and natural spaces. He very spectators. crucial role for humanity. quickly adopted use of the camera to supplement writing and record his observations. At the same time, Yann Arthus-Bertrand joined forces with Jean-Yves From 2012 to 2015, Yann worked on shooting his film HUMAN. Robin, a renowned producer, to create Hope Production, a company HUMAN consists of interviews with people from all walks of life and At the first climate conference in Rio in 1992, Yann decided to launch dedicated to producing publically engaged documentaries. living conditions in more than 45 countries and aerial views taking in a huge photographic project on the state of the world and its inhabit- the whole world. ants: La Terre Vue Du Ciel. For the World Water Forum in March 2012, Hope produced A Thirsty World . This documentary by Yann Arthus-Bertrand, aired Yann’s work bears witness to his determination to stimulate a Following through on his commitment to the environmental cause, on France 2 and produced in collaboration with Baptiste Rouget collective and responsible conscience with the aim of raising the the photographer created the GoodPlanet Foundation. Since 2005, Luchaire and Thierry Piantanida, recounts the story of water, awareness of the greatest number. this non-governmental organisation has been focusing on environ- highlighting its challenges and the importance of concerted world mental education and the combat against climate change. Thanks to management of this precious resource. He has continued this work with Hope Production by producing and this commitment, he was nominated «Goodwill Ambassador» for the directing Méditerranée (2013) and Algérie Vue du Ciel (2015), and United Nations Environment Programme in 2009. Likewise, at the Rio+20 conference in June 2012, Yann Arthus- it is at the heart of his latest project TERRA released in December Bertrand produced the film Planet Ocean with Michael Pitiot. The 2015. In the same year, he produced his first feature-length film, HOME, film aims to increase understanding of the importance of the oceans Genesis of the film

Production of TERRA was spread out over 18 months, involving over 60 days of aerial shooting and 60 days of shooting on the ground. As well as the work of the French teams who produced the lion’s share of the aerial and ground images, the film also relied on the contri- bution of film-makers from all over the world, capitalising on their expertise, talent, particular speciality and the region of the world in which they work, who each inspired and helped create the images shown in the film.

Here is a short presentation of these filmmakers.

Li Gang, China. Matthew Aeberhard, UK. Louie Schwartzberg, USA.

Animal photographer and specialist in horses, Animal film-maker and a specialist on Africa, Producer and director of Pollen (Disney Nature), who with his who filmed the herds of wild horses in the interior of Mongolia. director of the film Les Ailes Pourpres (Disney Nature). studio filmed the bees and the iguanas of the Galapagos.

Paul Wildman, South Africa. Denis Lagrange, France. Wolfgang Bayer, USA.

Diver-photographer and film-maker, who filmed the transloca- Diver-photographer and animal film-maker, Animal film-maker and director of the film Earthling, tion of the rhinoceros and the underwater world of the iguana. who filmed the submerged forest. to which he devoted his entire life.

Brian McClatchy, UK. Dieter Szoke, Germany. Wim Van Egmond, Holland.

Animal film-maker and bird specialist, A specialist in time lapse photographer, Artist-photographer, specialist in microbiology images and crea- who filmed the mass movements (murmuration) of starlings. who created the images of plants, flowers and insects. tor of the images showing the explosion of life (fungi).

Scientific and specialist consultants

Scientific supervision Editorial advisor

Gilles Boeuf Karine-Lou Matignon

Jacques-Marie Bardintzeff, vulcanologist Jean-Pierre Boris, journalist Assaf Schwarz, MNHM Gilles Tosello, cave-painter, Chauvet Jade Lindgaard, journalist Eddy Fougier, IRIS Colomban de Vargas, CNRS Anne de Loisy, journalist Rob Bailey, Chatham House Erik Karsenti, CNRS Michel Kreutzer, ethologist Bernard Denis, Académie d’Agriculture de France Christelle Jozet, Université de Caen Dalila Bovet, Université Paris X Fabienne Duteil-Ogata, EHESS William Kriegel Alexandra Liarsou, archaeologist Susan Clayton, Collège of Wooster Yves Marchand and Romain Meffre, photographers Christophe Féron, Université Paris XIII Véronique Servais, Université de Liège Charles Brewer-Carias Jocelyne Porcher, INRA Catherine Bastide, LOOF Phillipe Gaucher, CNRS Guyane Bernard Vaissière, INRA François Gemenne, CERI Gaëlle Fornet, CNRS Gérard Arnold, CNRS Carine Celibert, journalist Annaïg Le Guen, CNRS Anne-Caroline Prevot Juliard, MNHN Franck Courchamp, CNRS Jacques-Olivier Barthes, WWF Agathe Colleony, MNHN Arnold Van Huis, Université Wageningen Jill Robinson Animal Asia Foundation Alan Vergnes, MNHN Bas Verschuuren, chercheur Catherine Vincent, Le monde Nathalie Siefert, Parc du Mercantour Philippe Chalmin, Cyclope report Olivier Tostain, consultant Trevor Sandwith, IUCN Sébastien Abis, IRIS Marion Lacaze, Université de Bordeaux Andrew Blum, author Jean-Luc Jany, LUBEM Stéphane Thévenin, broker Vinciane Despret, philosopher Gerlinde de Deyn, Wageningen University Hélène Thiollet, CERI Mark Post, Maastricht University Vincent Goossaert, EPHE Georges Chapouthier, CNRS Elisabeth Plas, ENS Arezo Malakooti, Altai Consulting Will Potter, author Jean-Pierre Digard, CNRS Anne-Marie Brisebarre, anthropologist

Film crew

Directed by Narrated by Original Music by

Yann Arthus-Bertrand Vanessa Armand Michael Pitiot Paradis Amar

Produced by In partnership with With the participation of

France TELEVISIONS HOPE Production OMEGA SA. CALT Production Centre National du Cinéma et de l'image animée

Chief editor Executive producer Production manager Assistant director Editorial Assistant Laurence Buchmann Marc Stanimirovic Pierre Lallement Lolita Chamaillard Marine Casalis

Editing assistants Aerial photography Camera Assistant to Production assistant Leonardo Silva Bucar Bruno Cusa Michael Raimondo Yann Arthus-Bertrand Valentin Wattelet and Peter Thompson Wayne de Lange Roxanne Crossley Philippine Merolle Zheng Yi Deputy production assistant Manon Augier Vision engineers Michael Zhao Han Documentalists Marc Carvalho Elena Raguenes Stéphane Azouze Clement Voyer Laure Regnier Léonard Rollin Daniel Meyer Céline Leroux Production administration Graphics, effects and titles Baptiste Rouget–Luchaire Christophe Baillot Ronan Jupin David Perrier Sterenn Hall Fitzerald Jego

Press contacts

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