A journey through spectacular film footage and animation to help youngsters get to know the underwater world and some of the planet’s most charismatic creatures: dolphins, whales and porpoises. This is the educational documentary Giants of the Mediterranean, created as part of the project ‘Savona, town of the Cetaceans’, funded primarily by the Agostino De Mari Foundation. Made with young viewers in mind, and particularly primary and lower-secondary school pupils, the film brings together the two years’ work carried out by CIMA Research Foundation, Menkab: the Breath of the Sea (responsible for filming, with Artescienza Artescienza, the sanctuary animals) and Gargagnan Film, in charge of editing and post-production.
The documentary was streamed live during its presentation, attended by Anna Cossetta, Director of the Agostino De Mari Foundation, Rector of theUniversity of Genoa Federico Delfino, the Executive Secretary for thePelagos Agreement Costanza Favilli and three representatives for the project partners (Massimilano Rosso for CIMA Research Foundation, Elia Biasissi for Menkab: the Breath of the Sea, and Diego Scarponi for Gargagnan Film). The online meeting also offered a speech recorded by the Liguria Regional Council member Giacomo Giampedrone.
The meeting was opened by Luca Ferraris, President of CIMA Research Foundation, who described the documentary as follows: “This production aims to stir curiosity ‒ what fuels researchers but also the emotion taking girls and boys to explore the environment, and a reaction to draw on for its conservation. And through Giants of the Mediterranean we strive to respond to the many questions often posed by schoolchildren. Although we have condensed these answers into just a few minutes, we still hope this film possesses the power to captivate viewers.”
The documentary focuses on the sea mammals populating the waters of the Pelagos Sanctuary, a protected marine area made up of the waters between Italy, Monaco and France, and home to eight different species of cetaceans (some of which are classified as at risk of extinction). The footage filmed by the researchers during their monitoring fieldwork, the wonderful animation by Mira Video Art and the ‘voices’ of the sea (recorded by the association eConscience) enable the main biological features , of these species to be narrated, from their anatomy to their diet and communication. How do these animals nurse their young? How powerfully can they expel air through their blowholes? What are the main differences between the species? How do they ‘speak’ to each other?
Yet there’s more, because the second half of the film focuses on the threats that human activities pose for these marine animals, and the good practices every person can adopt to protect them. From noise pollution to collision with watercraft, from plastic to being trapped in illegal fishing devices. Many factors are in fact harming ‒ even severely ‒ the populations of these large predators, so pinpointing strategies to protect them is essential. The first and most important step in this direction is knowledge: “Scientific learning can translate into greater awareness of the environment surrounding us, the place where we live. Only this way can we manage to develop a true sense of belonging. This is the thought underpinning our work,” commented Anna Cossetta, Director of the Agostino De Mari Foundation.
Federico Delfino, Rector at the University of Genoa and instrumental in the teamwork with CIMA Research Foundation, agrees. “One purpose of our institutions is to convey a message to the new generations: humanity’s relationship with nature needs to be entirely rethought. This project spotlights a wonderful asset available to us, the Ligurian Sea. Our university offers over 250 courses, including 12 degree courses, focusing on the sea. This documentary can act as an important tool for bringing students closer to study and research in the marine context, besides standing as an element for enhancing our local area.”
“The Ligurian area is in fact central in this documentary, which reminds us not only of its beauty but also how rich its biodiversity is. Of the many species populating this sea, the mammals are not only appealing animals but also essential for the ecosystem itself,” commented Councillor Giacomo Giampedrone.
“The purpose of the Pelagos Sanctuary is precisely to conserve this ecosystem intact, enabling humankind’s activities to exist alongside it. Signed over 20 years ago, the Pelagos Agreement enabled the reserve to be set up. This is now moving towards a new phase, which begins in January 2022 when the new management plan comes into effect, involving not only all parties in the agreement, but also other institutions and partners, and local residents. The aim is that of creating new synergies and strengthening existing ones, so that everyone can contribute to reaching the agreement goal,” added Costanza Favilli, Executive Secretary for the Pelagos Agreement. “Communication ‒ vital for awareness and education ‒ will play a fundamental role in achieving this. The documentary is a good example in this sense, thanks to the completeness, quality and clarity of the messages it conveys.”
“Although the project was first structured before the pandemic context, which imposed the need to organise many school activities only online, this way of involving pupils to help them appreciate and get to know the marine world, and sea mammals in particular, has taken on even more importance given the times we are living in,” commented Giulia Calogero, President of Menkab: the Breath of the Sea, Diego Scarponi from Gargagnan Film, and Massimiliano Rosso, CIMA Research Foundation researcher. “This film, which has also established synergies between various organisations from the same local area, makes it possible to take a bit of our world to the classrooms of all pupils… and beyond.”
