The underwater world in 3-D has become Jean-Jacques Mantello‘s domain, you’ve probably seen or heard one of his following films: Sharks 3D, Ocean Wonderland 3D or Dolphins and Whales 3D: Tribes of the Ocean. Word was that his latest feature OceanWorld 3D (technically his first feature length docu) was one of the more alluring titles from the Cannes Film Festival market this year. Perhaps it was the seven years of production, and 200 hours of footage (it probably takes snip-its of the same shoots from above mentioned docs) collected in the wild and in 3D that made it a no-brainer purchase for Disney’s new nature and wildlife documentary label Disneynature. The label grabbed the rights to distribute the film for North American audiences.
Guided by a sea turtle, viewers enjoy a close-up look at her fascinating world from the Great Barrier Reef in Australia and Argentina’s Peninsula Valdez to Mexico’s Roca Partida Island, home to thousands of sharks. Others players include a manta ray’s enchanting ballet, the noble procession of hammerhead sharks; the lionfish’s relentless hunt; dolphins playing algae-soccer; the astonishing beauty of the Spanish dancer sea slug and leafy sea dragon; and an exceptional encounter with the largest cetaceans on the planet.
