Whether you are looking for inspiration, a piece of escapism, or to understand the challenges the planet is facing due to climate change, these five documentaries will certainly deliver. With travel a little more difficult during current times, why not sit back and admire the beauty of nature through stunning cinematography instead?
Perfect Planet
Released in 2021 this is the most recent of the five documentaries, with the first episode premiering on January 3rd. ‘Perfect Planet’ explores the science of the Earth across five, hour-long episodes, each focusing on one major subject: Volcanoes, The Sun, Weather and Oceans, and lastly, Humans and their impact on the environment. Filming took place over four years, across 31 counties and in many harsh environments. Narrated by Sir David Attenborough and coupled with beautiful cinematography, the series is a must-watch. Be sure to look out for the dancing crabs of Christmas Island, the flamingos living next door to a volcano and the arctic wolves of the polar night.
Chasing Coral
Take a trip under the sea with Jeff Orlowski’s eye-opening documentary, ‘Chasing Coral’. The documentary is a call to consciousness on the effects of global warming, exploring the harrowing affects that carbon emissions and pesticides are having on coral reefs, detailing the increasing scenes of coral bleaching. Winning the Sundance Film Festival Audience Award, this documentary will not only transport you to the world underneath the sea but help you understand a fragile ecosystem with an uncertain future.
Jane
Jane, a National Geographic documentary, drawn from 100 hours of previously unseen footage, provides viewers with an intimate glance into the life and work of renowned primatologist, Jane Goodall. Following Goodall’s chimpanzee observations in Tanzania during the 1960s, the documentary also highlights the challenges faced by being a woman in a male-dominated scientific consensus. With almost 60 years of ground-breaking work, Goodall not only drew the world’s attention to protecting chimpanzees from extinction but redefined the limits of species conservation, extending it to include local people and the environment.
Our Planet
‘Our Planet’, is a British nature documentary produced for Netflix. The series explores the outstanding scale of diversity within habitats across the globe and what we need to do as humans to protect it. With beautiful scenes of the arctic wilderness through to the jungles of South America, watching ‘Our Planet’ will have you adding destinations to your ever-growing travel bucket list, from walking holidays in Vietnam to wildlife safaris in Africa.
Chasing Niagara
Are you looking for something a little different, a change from the usual nature documentaries? Then look no further than, ‘Chasing Niagara’. This epic documentary follows Rafa Ortiz, a pro kayaker who undertakes his dream of paddling over Niagara Falls. A nail-biting, edge-of-the-seat watch, which follows Rafa and his team of close friends over three years as they paddle from the rainforest rivers of Mexico to the towering waterfalls of the U.S. Northwest, before a heart-stopping finish at the iconic falls.
