David Attenborough: A Life on Our Planet

2020 1h 23m EN

🙌

8.4

BANGER

★8.4TMDB · 467

DocumentaryDrama

Synopsis

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The story of life on our planet by the man who has seen more of the natural world than any other. In more than 90 years, Attenborough has visited every continent on the globe, exploring the wild places of our planet and documenting the living world in all its variety and wonder. Addressing the biggest challenges facing life on our planet, the film offers a powerful message of hope for future generations.

“Some stories are better left unspoiled.”

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Where to watch · US

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Cast

David Attenborough
Self
Max Hughes
Young David

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Alastair Fothergill
Languages: English
Countries: United Kingdom

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 7

RUNTIME

Did you know

83 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 7

ERA

Did you know

Released 6 years ago.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 7

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Alastair Fothergill, shot by Gavin Thurston. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 7

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Steven Price. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 7

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Martin Elsbury shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 7

CAST

Did you know

David Attenborough and Max Hughes carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 7

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt11989890 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Alastair Fothergill directs. Gavin Thurston behind the camera. Steven Price scores. Martin Elsbury cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in United Kingdom. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

183 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.
2Released 6 years ago.
3Directed by Alastair Fothergill, shot by Gavin Thurston. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
4Original score by Steven Price. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
5Editor Martin Elsbury shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
6David Attenborough and Max Hughes carry the top of the cast.
7IMDB entry: tt11989890 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
8Classified under 20 themes, including "climate change", "biography", "destruction of planet", "nature".
9Released under 31 different titles around the world.

The technical file

Cinematography: Gavin Thurston
Original score: Steven Price
Editing: Martin Elsbury
Runtime: 83 min · 1h 23m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Original language: EN
Certification (US): PG
IMDB: David Attenborough: A Life on Our Planet (2020)

Also by

Alastair Fothergill

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Trailers & featurettes

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Community reviews

What people are saying

CinemaSerf2022-03-28
★ 8/10
The thing that makes this documentary so inspiring is that it is not a lecture. Sir David Attenborough demonstrates through his wealth of experience over the years, the chronology of the decline of the natural world without preaching to us. The beautiful imagery accumulated over 50 years of natural history film-making coupled with a considered, poignant and practical analysis of where we were/are and want to be offers stark warnings, certainly, but also scope for hope and optimism too if only we can get a grip. His manner is affable and authoritative, he is the teacher every one of would have loved to have had - and perhaps, had we, things wouldn't look quite so ominous! The photography - particularly the archive - is gorgeous to look at and underscores perfectly the points he is making, and the global perspective he takes gives this a currency far and away more valuable and penetrating than any politically driven assessment. It's a wonderful film that everyone ought to see. It also serves as a fitting testament to the visionary people at the BBC (often together with WGBH) who created these documentaries over many, many years - providing an essential spine for this narrative, but also so much of my own understanding of how the planet works. It is a shame that the BBC is now heading for a similar extinction level event; with - sadly - very few ready to take up the cudgels on it's behalf.

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