Planet Earth - From Pole To Pole

Watched Planet Earth on Arts Central at 10pm. Produced by BBC Natural History Unit, helmed by producer Mark Linfield and the same team behind 2001's The Blue Planet, it is the most expensive documentary ever made. Recorded over a period of 5 years in more than 204 locations, it is certainly a humunguous effort by the team, who risked their lives filming some of the most captivating scenes.
The first episode, titled From Pole To Pole, shows how the lives of plants and animals are dominated by sun and water, which trigger seasonal journeys.
The show starts in Antartica, where male Emperor Penguins huddle together in the dead of winter to protect their eggs, waiting patiently for their partners to return when the sun will rise again in spring. It then pans to Artic, where spring has arrived and the mother polar bear emergers from the den with it's cubs, and make the journey towards the ocean to feed on seals before the warmth of spring melts the sea ice.
The season's changes, from winter to spring - where the peach blossoms bloom - and then to summer in Japan, and from summer to autumn to winter in America, transpires in a matter of seconds, highlighting the beauty of the landscape as it changes. From the coniferous forests to decidous forests, the scene changes to the tropical forests of Borneo, where the rare birds of paradise live. The ultimate fashion victims of the bird world, this species of birds are decked out in vibrant colours and decorated with beautiful plummage. The males are the ones that are usually the 'prettier' ones, and there's always a mating song or dance, in addition to the beautiful coat of feathers, to help attract the females to mate with them.
One of the most dramatic moments in this episode is the chase of the seals by the great white. By slowing down the shots to 40 times the normal speed, the might and grace of the great white leaping out of the water and capturing the seal in its jaws is simply breathtaking, and the splashes of the water that are created in the process is beautiful.
The interplay of sun and water on the life on Earth moves to Africa, the driest continent on the planet. Here, the annual flooding of Okavango marks the start of migration of elephants, babboons and other animals to this seasonal oasis, where water and food are in abundance. The treacherous journey through massive sandstorms and tornadoes has to be made before they reach this little piece of haven.
And finally, the cameras takes us back to Antartica, where we first started out, where the arrival of spring heralds the birth of the baby emperor penguins, and the start of the migration of the penguins towards the sea.
I was totally impressed by the cinematography, from the aerial shots capturing the movements of the the migration of the animals to the closeups, and the showing of the changes of the seasons. This is rare gem in the world of documentary, filmed to stunning perfection. It allows me to see a differnt side of Earth, a side that will be lost if we humans, who have the power to protect, do nothing to save these lovely animals, and flora and fauna. Hopefully, this will not the only way our future generations will get to see the diversity that our dear blue planet has to offer.
There's 10 more episodes to go, and I shall make it a point to catch every one of them! Can't miss out such a wonderful piece of documentary!