Mission Sea Otter – Saving California’s Kelp Forests
– Mission Seeotter – Rettung für Kaliforniens Kelpwälder –
Along the Californian coast, kelp forms dense, biodiverse underwater forests of great importance: this giant algae binds vast amounts of carbon dioxide, thereby helping to regulate the climate.
These kelp forests are also home to sea otters – California’s charismatic marine mammals. What few people know is that sea otters are the last hope for this unique habitat, which is on the brink of disappearing.
Our film follows the lives of sea otters through spectacular topside and underwater footage, and highlights the work of the renowned Monterey Bay Aquarium and other marine conservation organisations dedicated to protecting sea otters and kelp forests.
We are so excited to share this special film, which was produced by Längengrad Filmproduktion for ARTE and ORF, with you – and we thrilled to have been nominated for Best Marine Film at the Green Screen International Nature Film Festival and for the German Nature Film Award, and we have already been awarded with the CINEMARE / International Ocean Film Festival Sister City Award.
TEAM
Written, directed and filmed by: Claudia Schmitt, Hendrik S. Schmitt
Additional camerawork: Brandon Garcia, Rose Dalrymple
Editing: Marc Schubert
Assistant editor: Mathis Hohmann
Music: Sebastian Haßler
Sound design and mixing: Alexander Weuffen
Colour grading: Dany Schelby
Graphics: Anastasia Wagner
Production assistant: Karl Hax, Alican Tamkan
Line Producer: Katja Sträter
Producer: Frank Nischk
Executive Producers: Thomas Weidenbach, Sarah Zierul
Editorial Team: Christian Cools, Felicitas Schwarz, under the supervision of Alexander von Harling (Arte), Birgit Skulski, under the supervision of Gernot Lercher (ORF)
A production by Längengrad Filmproduktion in co-production with Arte G.E.I.E, ORF, in collaboration with ORF-Enterprise
Special thanks to:
Monterey Bay Aquarium (Jessica Fujii, Emerson Brown, Adrian Samora), Reef Check Foundation (Jaclyn Mann, Jan Freiwald), Sunflower Star Laboratory (Vince Christian, Ashley Kidd, Reuven Bank), Giant Kelp Restoration Project (Keith Rootsaert), Monterey Expeditions, Phil Sammet, Ariella & Brian Simke, Spectre Dive Boat, Sundiver, Waterhorse Charters, Beach Hopper II, Joe Mosquito, Craig Lang, Backscatter Underwater Video & Photo, Aquarius Dive Shop, Ana Blanco & David McQuire