Emmy-nominated director Sophie Lanfear joins Chris Bashinelli for a conversation about her experiences creating the Netflix documentary series Our Planet.
Sophie Lanfear is a producer and director, known for Our Planet (2019), Life Story (2014) and The Hunt (2015). In this episode of the Be Here Now Network Guest Podcast, Chris and Sophie talk about the importance of environmental awareness. Looking at the lessons we can learn from the natural world. Our Planet is available to stream on Netflix: Our Planet
Resources from this episode: Our Planet Trailer
Our Planet
We get a look into the making of the documentary series Our Planet. Sophie speaks with Chris about some of the highlights of the production. Opportunities like working with the award-winning performer David Attenborough. She shares her early experiences as a documentarian. Describing how her love of nature makes the difficulties and dangers of the job worth the effort.
“It’s not the falling in love with the filmmaking part. These projects are so massive. They are so expensive, the risks are so high. You are emanaging a team and responsible for the health and safety of the crew. Going to remote locations and working on sea ice.It’s the falling in love with the nature part. Falling in love with the animals and the nature world in a way that you want to try and convey.” – Sophie Lanfear
Sharing the Natural World (12:20)
How does the work of scientists, performers and filmmakers who make nature films, like Our Planet, bring greater awareness to the needs of the natural world? Sophie and Chris discuss the potential of documentaries to raise ecological awareness and bring attention to what is happening outside of humanity. They look at what the natural world has to teach us about ourselves and how we are interconnected.
“If you want to learn lessons in life, look at nature.” – Sophie Lanfear
Hope for a Brighter Tomorrow (35:30)
In the face of difficult issues like climate change and deforestation, where does Sophie look to for hope of change? She and Chris talk about finding inspiration in the potential of our collective strength. What kind of internal shifts can we each make to put ourselves in better balance with nature?
Learn about bringing spiritual awareness to activism with environmental activist Alastair McIntosh on Ep. 296 of the Mindrolling Podcast
Art via marukopum