Sir David Attenborough, the nature film-maker and environmental activist extraordinaire is 100 today. He is still remarkably astute and alive, continuing to work on project and speaking out on behalf of all creatures in an age of peril.
We watched his recent documentary David Attenborough’s A Gorilla Story in which he harkens back nearly half a century to a demanding expedition into the mountain forests of Rwanda. His film crew for this Life on Earth episode had to negotiate with a suspicious military and other dangers -- gorilla researcher Dian Fossey facilitated the excursion and she was murdered there a few years later.
The goal was to film the gorillas from a safe distance as Attenborough discussed opposable digits on our hands. To their total surprise and eventual delight the gorillas approached David and began to play with him. One named Pablo, a three-year-old playfully climbed up on him as he spoke. Two other young ones pulled off his shoes. Pablo grew up to be the leader of this troupe of gorillas.
Attenborough began doing nature programs in 1954 but this experience ranks near the top for him: “The words I used are, ‘There’s more meaning in exchanging a glance with a gorilla than any other animal I know’, And I stick by that. I think that’s true.”
These mountain gorillas were on the road to extinction but happily, the efforts of Fossey and Attenborough's documentaries have reversed that course and their numbers are now robust.
I feel that Attenborough has done more than any other film-maker to invite us into what the Jewish philosopher Martin Buber described as the I/Thou relationship rather than I/It. Buber wrote about these encounters in terms of God and other humans, but why not with other creatures? As humans we have objectified and demeaned other species to their peril and ours. Attenborough has invited us into enchantment and respect.
What a marvelous life and legacy for David Attenborough. Well done and thank you!
No comments:
Post a Comment