Call for CHANGE

How Sir David Attenborough's latest documentary examines the importance and health of our ocean

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OCEAN WITH DAVID ATTENBOROUGH

NEW SUNDAY, 8PM, NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC, & FROM SUNDAY 8 JUNE, DISNEY+ FACTUAL

Sir David Attenborough delivers what is being described as the 'greatest message he's ever told' in new documentary Ocean. Arriving on National Geographic and Disney+ this week following a limited cinema release last month to mark the legendary broadcaster's 99th birthday on 8 May, the feature-length special takes viewers on a journey beneath the waves to showcase the wonders of undersea life, such as clownfish, green sea turtles and humpback whales, while also exposing the challenges facing the ocean, from destructive fishing techniques to mass coral-reef bleaching.

Here, in an exclusive interview, director Keith Scholey, 67, tells TV Times why this is set to be such an important watch...

The film feels like a love letter to our oceans. What do you think sets it apart?

It has a very powerful story, and so it's not a traditional natural-history documentary in that respect; it's a mission-driven film. Sir David Attenborough is very passionate about our oceans and what can be done to protect them, and that really comes across. It was also made for the cinema and shot for the big screen, so the imagery and the score [by Oscar-winning composer Steven Price] make it a very theatric piece.