- Genre
- Nature & Wildlife
Science
- Duration
-
1 × 50 min
- Definition
- 4K
- Audio
- 5.1
- Status
- Completed
Whale Wisdom
'Whale Wisdom' dives deep into the minds of whales, uncovering their intelligence, culture, and extraordinary behaviors – from problem-solving to shared songs.
Factsheet
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More InformationSynopsis
Just how smart are whales?
Whales have long been a profound mystery to us. They live in a world so removed from our own that we can barely imagine their lives. Their environment is different, their senses are different, their relationships are different.
What goes on inside those vast heads? How might such almost alien creatures see the world? How might they think? New science is beginning to give us some answers.
Marine biologist and filmmaker Rick Rosenthal is on a journey to explore these insights, measuring the latest science against his own observations and long-held beliefs – and just maybe, getting a glimpse of the world as it must seem to these ocean giants.
Captured on camera for the first time in ‘Whale Wisdom’, Rick films the astonishing behaviour of a humpback whale which, time and again, manages to outwit humans in order to get what she wants – their fish. She brilliantly thwarts each attempt by the managers of a salmon hatchery to keep her away. Her coup de grace – slipping in and out unseen into an enclosure barely bigger than herself.
In Norway, ‘Whale Wisdom’ captures hunting techniques of humpback whales showing they have learned to interpret another species’ feeding calls – orcas – for their own benefit. The humpbacks, alerted by the orcas’ calls, wait for them to herd herring into tight schools, then sweep in and swallow the entire shoal.
Whales seem to experience fun, too. The camera team captures adult grey whales surfing the breakers, spending hours of each day riding waves at the surf break, stopping only when the tide changes and the waves subside.
And whales share songs. Humpback whales sing, and in the course of a season, a favourite “hit song” emerges. That song is passed from whale to whale, until eventually it’s being sung by all the humpback males in the Southern Pacific Ocean. ‘Whale Wisdom’ uses ultrasonography mapping to illustrate the scientists’ recording of one whale learning the song from another. Researchers believe the songs contain important information, possibly about their migrations, which is shared when the song is transferred – a cultural exchange among whales.
Filmed entirely in 4K from above and below the surface using boats, kayaks and drones, and working with respected whale scientists and researchers, Rick Rosenthal shines a light on the culture and wisdom of whales.
Team
Directed by
Rick Rosenthal
Executive producers
Susanne Lummer, Sabine Holzer
Production companies
A Terra Mater Factual Studios production in co-production with Doclights/NDR Naturfilm in association with ARTE France/Unité Découverte et Connaissance produced by Wild Logic
Awards & Recognitions
Santa Monica, USA
Blue Water Film Festival
Official Selection
2022
New York, USA
New York Festivals TV & Film Awards
Gold World Medal (Category: Cinematography)
2020
New York, USA
New York Festivals TV & Film Awards
Gold World Medal (Category: Nature & Wildlife)
2020
Santa Barbara, USA
SBIFF - Santa Barbara International Film Festival
Official Selection
2020
Gijón, Spain
Wild Oceans FilmFest
Finalist (Category: Animal Behavior or Ecosystem Description)
2020
Olomouc, Czech Republic
AFO - Academia Film Olomouc
Selected (Category: International Competition)
2020
Cogne, Italy
Gran Paradiso Film Festival
Official Selection (Category: Stambecco d'Oro Trophy)
2020
Hofheim, Germany
Naturfilmfestival Hofheim
Official Selection
2020
Albert, France
FIFA - Festival International du Film Animalier
Official Selection
2020
Bratislava, Slovakia
IFF - Ekotopfilm - Envirofilm Festival
Official Selection
2020
Sondrio, Italy
Sondrio Festival
Special Mention by the International Panel of Judges
2019
New Delhi, India
WIFF - Woodpecker International Film Festival
Best Film (Category: Environmental Challenges)
2019
Rotterdam, Netherlands
WFFR - Wildlife Film Festival Rotterdam
Flamingo Award (Category: Animal Behaviour)
2019
Cannes, France
Cannes Corporate Media & TV Awards
Winner Gold Dolphin (Category: Nature, Environment & Ecology)
2019
Eckernförde, Germany
Green Screen - Internationales Naturfilmfestival Eckernförde
Best Marine Film
2019
Montana, USA
IWFF - International Wildlife Film Festival
Best Human-Wildlife Interaction Film
2019
Redondo Beach, USA
US International Film & Video Festival
Gold Camera (Category: Documentary: Nature, Wildlife)
2019
Redondo Beach, USA
US International Film & Video Festival
Silver Screen (Category: Documentary: Craft/Production Techniques: Cinematography)
2019
Redondo Beach, USA
US International Film & Video Festival
Best of Festival Nominee (Category: Documentary)
2019
Graz, Austria
Mountainfilm International Filmfestival Graz
Official Selection
2019
Namur, Belgium
FINN - Festival International Nature Namur
Official Selection
2019
Paris, France
Pariscience International Science Film Festival
Finalist
2019
Sondrio, Italy
Sondrio Festival
Nomination (Category: First Prize "Town of Sondrio" and "Stelvio National Park")
2019
Gödöllö, Hungary
International Nature Film Festival Gödöllö
Nomination (Category: Nature Films)
2019
Australia
Scinema - International Science Film Festival
Official Selection
2019
Ludwigsburg, Germany
NaturVision Film Festival
Official Selection
2019
New York, USA
Jackson Hole Wild: Living Oceans Film Showcase
Finalist
2019
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