The 22nd Tokyo International Film Festival will open with the highly anticipated, long-gestating, documentary film from Jacques Perrin and Jacques Cluzaud. I believe principal photography commenced something like five years ago on Oceans. The doc was picked up earlier this year by Disneynature for a Spring 2010 release.
Oceans is an ecological drama/documentary, filmed throughout the globe. Devoting over 70 trips to 50 places and 4 years it captures more than 100 species. Jacques Perrin (LE PEUPLE MIGRATEUR) presents a tale of the
mysterious ocean and the living with the latest cinematographic equipment, capable of taking
miraculous images. The film penetrates the mysterious and fascinating marine world like never before.
Before they made even one announcement, the festival was at the center of controversy for not including Louie Psihoyos’ The Cove. Jeffrey Wells (read here) was quick to point out how Alejandro González Iñárritu should consider stepping down from the head jury position, this despite there being no logical link between serving as a jury member and a festival potentially choosing not to go with one film among a “sea” of films. A more pertinent argument could have been made about The Cove promoting the protection of one sentient while in the same stance, illogically telling folks its okay to consume of other sentient beings. See step 3.
The behind the scene item below shows Perrin strolling around with his grandson in a makeshift museum of extinct marine mammals.