Presented on April 8th, 2021 the documentary is a journey through animations and filming to introduce children to the cetaceans that inhabit the Pelagos Sanctuary, the threats posed by human activities and strategies to protect them
A journey among spectacular videos and animations to let the children know the underwater world of some of the most charismatic animals of the planet, the cetaceans. This is the educational documentary “Giants of the Mediterranean”, realized as part of the project “Savona, city of the Cetaceans”, mainly financed by the Agostino De Mari Foundation. Conceived for the youngest, and in particular for students of elementary and middle school classes, the video collects two years of work carried out by CIMA Research Foundation, by Menkab: il respiro del mare (which together with Artescienza took care of the filming of the cetaceans) and by Gargagnan Film, responsible for editing and post-production activities.
The documentary was presented on Thursday, April 8th with a live streaming. Present at the live were Anna Cossetta, director of the Agostino De Mari Foundation, the Rector of the University of Genoa Federico Delfino, the Executive Secretary of the Pelagos Agreement Costanza Favilli and three representatives of the project partners (Massimilano Rosso for CIMA Research Foundation, Elia Biasissi for Menkab: il respiro del mare and Diego Scarponi for Gargagnan Film). The online meeting also hosted a recorded intervention of the Liguria Region Councillor Giacomo Giampedrone.
The meeting was opened by Luca Ferraris, president of CIMA Research Foundation: “This documentary aims first of all to stimulate curiosity, the fuel of researchers but also the emotional aspect with which girls and boys interact with the environment and through which we can stimulate them to preserve it. With “Giants of the Mediterranean”, we try to answer the many questions that often come from students. We hope that these few minutes have the power to excite the listeners”.
The documentary focuses on the cetaceans that inhabit the Pelagos Sanctuary, a marine protected area including the sea between Italy, Monaco and France and hosting eight different species of cetaceans (some of which are classified as endangered). The documentary contains footage shot by the researchers during the monitoring trips, the animations by Mira Video Art and the “voices” of the sea (edited by the association eConscience). Together, they allow to tell the cetacean’s main biological features, from taxonomy to feeding and communication: how do these animals suckle? How powerful can be the blow through which they expel air? What are the main differences between species? How do they “talk” to each other?
And that’s not all, because the second part of the video is entirely dedicated to the threats to cetaceans due to human activities and the ways in which everyone of us can protect them. From noise pollution to collisions with boats, from plastic to entangling by illegal fishing gear, there are many elements that are damaging, even severely, the populations of these large predators, and it is essential to find strategies to protect them. The first and most important step in this direction is knowledge: “Scientific knowledge can translate into a deeper awareness of the environment in which we live, and only in this way can we succeed in developing a true sense of belonging. And this is the thought behind our work,” comments Anna Cossetta, director of Agostino De Mari Foundation.
Federico Delfino, Rector of the University of Genoa, who has kept alive the collaboration with the CIMA Research Foundation, agrees: “The purpose of our institutions is also to pass a message to the new generations: the relationship that human beings have with nature must be completely rethought. This project is an element of enhancement of a wonderful asset we have, the Ligurian Sea. Our university offers more than 250 courses, including 12 degree courses, concerning the sea; this documentary can be an important tool to bring students closer to the study and research in the marine field, as well as representing an element of territorial valorization for our region“.
“The territory of Liguria is in fact the protagonist of this documentary, which reminds us not only of its beauty but also how rich it is in biodiversity. Among the many species that populate it, cetaceans are not only fascinating animals but also fundamental for the ecosystem itself,” comments Councillor Giacomo Giampedrone.
“The purpose of the Pelagos Sanctuary is to preserve the integrity of this ecosystem, allowing a coexistence with human activities. The Pelagos Agreement, signed twenty years ago, has allowed the establishment of the protected area, and is heading towards a new phase. This phase will begin in January 2022 with the new Management Plan, which will involve not only the Parties to the Agreement, but also institutions, partners and citizens who live in the area. The intent is to create new synergies and strengthen existing ones, so that all can contribute to the achievement of the objectives of the Agreement” added Costanza Favilli, Executive Secretary of the Pelagos Agreement. “In this, a fundamental role will be played by communication, which is also a key element for awareness and training activities. This documentary is a good example in this sense for the completeness, quality and clarity of the messages it conveys.”
“Despite the fact that the project was born before the pandemic that imposed distance activities to schools, this type of involvement of students to make them appreciate and learn about the marine world and cetaceans in particular, is even more important,” comment Giulia Calogero, president of Menkab: the breath of the sea, Diego Scarponi of Gargagnan Film and Massimiliano Rosso, researcher at CIMA Research Foundation. “With this video, which also gathered the synergy of different realities of the same territory, it will be possible to bring a little bit of our world in the classrooms of all students… and not only”.
The documentary can be freely viewed at this link: http://www.cimafoundation.org/educational/. At the access there is a very short questionnaire, whose only mandatory field of completion is the postal code, which will serve CIMA Research Foundation as an important project indicator. For teachers, moreover, it is appreciated the compilation of the field regarding the name of the institute of belonging, so as to better address the efforts of sharing.