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BIODIVERSITY PROTECTION / EXHIBITIONS & EVENTS | 103

PREVIEW
“MEDITERRANEAN,

THE ODYSSEY OF LIFE”

IN BRIEF

NORDIC
INSPIRATIONS

Wild fjords, deserted beaches, windy dunes bordered
by a sea of foam, shimmering waters, lone boats, rare
On the evening of Thursday 24 March, the Cherish our common bathers… the unique landscapes of the North Sea
Beaux-Arts cinema in Monaco hosted a were displayed on the purple walls of the prestigious
preview screening of the first opus of the property conference room at the Oceanographic Museum
series “Mediterranean, the odyssey of life”, of Monaco for the inauguration of the Northbound
directed by Frédéric Fougea for France 2. In a film of great style produced with the exhibition, on the evening prior to Monaco Ocean
After the film, in the presence of the direc- support of a network of experts, Frédéric Week. Taken from collections of the Museum Kunst
tor, the producer Gilles Dufraisse and the Fougea and his team paint the picture of der Westküste on the Island of Föhr in Germany,
famous free diver Guillaume Néry, an infor- a Mediterranean Sea that is damaged yet 24 historical and contemporary works offering
mal and constructive exchange took place resilient, alive yet endangered. The final a voyage comprising 4 ports of call around this
with the public, captivated by the film. sequences head to the depths, following epicontinental sea in Northwest Europe.
the silent descent of free diver Guillaume
Crossed destinies Néry, returning to the location of the The blue-grey colours of the Dutch coastline
greatest ecological disaster in the Medi- dominate the paintings of the late 19 century whilst
th
The 90-minute feature-length film threw terranean: on the wreck of the oil tankers the compositions by Danish painters of this period
the spectators into the waters of the that sunk off the coast of Genova 30 dialoguing with contemporary photographs, celebrate
Mediterranean where they become mes- years ago, bacteria progress as patches the famous “blue hour” specific to the atmosphere
merised by the migratory adventures of of orange, initiating the slow restoration of of the Nordic coast. The Norwegian port of call offers
a loggerhead turtle, a young white stork, life, including in these deep waters rende- a romantic immersion into intact fjords. Then the
a school of bluefin tuna, a couple of red hostile. “The Mediterranean is dressing cultural peculiarities of the Island of Föhr are unveiled,
seahorses and a pod of sperm whales. its wounds”, assures the documentary guardian of the Friesian culture, questioning the
Through the chaotic destiny of these ani- which opens onto a fascinating landscape transmission and identity of the island.
mals braving all sorts of dangers to per- of gorgonian corals, the veritable lungs of a
petuate their species, many questions are sea continually reinventing itself…Provided Immortalising maritime scenes of bygone days, the
raised, and the director does not shy away that, as uttered movingly by the voice of selected works by artists of the North are bound to
from pointing out the increasing impact of Camélia Jordana at the end of the film, we provide an inspirational change of scenery, whilst
human appropriation of this space. Inviting “cherish our common property, our sea, heightening our desire to better protect the coastline of
spectators to enter the intimacy of rare the Mediterranean”. A necessary stance a sea currently threatened by climate change, pollution
animal scenes, the sovereign beauty of that Nice-born free diver Guillaume Néry and overfishing. (Exhibition from 19 March until
the photography makes this breath-taking encouraged during the Monaco Ocean 19 June 2022).
journey a source of wonder tinged with Week evening event open to the public,
a sense of unease, even revulsion. Is the demonstrating his steadfast commitment
Mediterranean still a habitable sea for the to “protecting the marine life of this global
species that live there? treasure”.