Nov 23, 2021
The National Geographic documentary Becoming Cousteau explores the life of legendary ocean explorer Jacques Cousteau, a man well ahead of his time in bringing climate change and environmental devastation to the world’s attention.
Mridu Chandra, award-winning filmmaker and one of the producers of Becoming Cousteau, joins us to discuss Cousteau's remarkable life and passion for the environment. A scuba diving pioneer, Cousteau also was an accomplished filmmaker and three-time Oscar winner.
Mridu talks about the challenges that she and director Liz Garbus faced in making a film using only archival footage, and how Garbus was keen to bring Cousteau's story to life.
“Throughout his life, he was always ahead, and when it came to his environmentalism, it stemmed from his genuine passion, being an honest witness and decades of experience.” - Mridu Chandra
Time Stamps:
00:00 - The trailer for
Becoming
Cousteau.
04:10 -
What the film is about.
05:01 - Who Jacques Cousteau was and the effect
he had on the world of scuba diving.
07:41 - Cousteau’s love for
filmmaking.
09:25 -
The challenges involved when working on an archival
film.
11:49 - How the
idea for the film came about.
13:21 - A clip from the film showing how
Jacques Cousteau revolutionised diving.
17:04 - How he changed over time while staying
true to his moral compass.
21:11 - The work he did to spread awareness of
environmental destruction.
24:26 - How he pushed the limits in everything
he was involved in.
27:12
- A clip from the film showing Cousteau’s love for his
mother.
Resources:
Becoming Cousteau (2021)
The Silent World (1956)
MovieMaker Magazine
Innersound
Audio
Alamo Pictures
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