The Coelacanth, a dive into our origins (2013)
The Coelacanth, a dive into our origins (2013)
A unique human adventure and a media-worthy scientific project
Gombessa Expedition 1 To dive for the Coelacanth is to go back in time. In 1938, when it was known only as a fossil, a Coelacanth was discovered in South Africa in a fisherman's net. This species bears witness to an evolutionary bifurcation 380 million years ago, and bears the marks of a great event: the day the fish left the ocean for the open air. Does it hold the secret to the transition to walking on land? In 2010, a marine biologist and outstanding diver, Laurent Ballesta, took the first photographs of the Coelacanth in its ecosystem. In April 2013, divers and researchers set down their equipment at the Sodwana base camp in South Africa, in the club founded by Peter Timm (who died in 2014). Six weeks of extreme diving at depths of over 120 meters, in an attempt to film the Coelacanth with a double-headed camera, collect its DNA and tag a subject with a satellite-linked beacon...

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Cast

Laurent Ballesta Laurent Ballesta As: Plongeur, photographe, biologiste marin
Gaël Clément Gaël Clément As: Paléontologue au Muséum d’histoire naturelle de Paris
Peter Timm Peter Timm As: Plongeur, fondateur du Trimix, Afrique du Sud
Emmanuel Blanche Emmanuel Blanche As: Médecin hyperbare de l'expédition " Gombessa 1 "
Florian Holon Florian Holon As: Plongeur de l'expédition " Gombessa 1 "
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Storyline

Gombessa Expedition 1 To dive for the Coelacanth is to go back in time. In 1938, when it was known only as a fossil, a Coelacanth was discovered in South Africa in a fisherman's net. This species bears witness to an evolutionary bifurcation 380 million years ago, and bears the marks of a great event: the day the fish left the ocean for the open air. Does it hold the secret to the transition to walking on land? In 2010, a marine biologist and outstanding diver, Laurent Ballesta, took the first photographs of the Coelacanth in its ecosystem. In April 2013, divers and researchers set down their equipment at the Sodwana base camp in South Africa, in the club founded by Peter Timm (who died in 2014). Six weeks of extreme diving at depths of over 120 meters, in an attempt to film the Coelacanth with a double-headed camera, collect its DNA and tag a subject with a satellite-linked beacon...


Tagline: A unique human adventure and a media-worthy scientific project
Certification: Unknown

Details

Genres: Documentary

Language: English, Français

Release Date: 02 November 2013

Country: FR

Runtime: 91m

Company Credits

Company: ARTE, Les Films d'Ici, Andromède Océanologie, CNRS Images

External Links

Cast

Laurent Ballesta

Laurent Ballesta

Plongeur, photographe, biologiste marin

Gaël Clément

Gaël Clément

Paléontologue au Muséum d’histoire naturelle de Paris

Peter Timm

Peter Timm

Plongeur, fondateur du Trimix, Afrique du Sud

Emmanuel Blanche

Emmanuel Blanche

Médecin hyperbare de l'expédition " Gombessa 1 "

Florian Holon

Florian Holon

Plongeur de l'expédition " Gombessa 1 "

Thibault Rauby

Thibault Rauby

Biologiste, plongeur de l'expédition " Gombessa 1 "

Yanick Gentil

Yanick Gentil

Cameraman sous-marin, plongeur de l'expédition " Gombessa 1 "

Marc Herbin

Marc Herbin

Spécialiste de la locomotion des vertebrés, CNRS / MNHN

Kerry Sink

Kerry Sink

Chercheur au The South African Institute Aquatic Biodiversity

Cédric Gentil

Cédric Gentil

Logisticien de l'expédition " Gombessa 1 "

Mélanie Faye

Mélanie Faye

Narratrice (voix)

Directed By

Gil Kébaïli

Gil Kébaïli

Director

Cédric Gentil

Cédric Gentil

Assistant Director

Writing Credits

Production Crew

Jacques Hinstin

Jacques Hinstin

Executive Producer

Angèle Le Névé

Angèle Le Névé

Production Director

Edited By

Costume and Makeup

Not currently known.

Sound

Simon Dubois

Simon Dubois

Sound Editor

Alexis Barbier-Bouvet

Alexis Barbier-Bouvet

Sound

Stéphane Lopez

Stéphane Lopez

Original Music Composer

Simon Dubois

Simon Dubois

Sound Mixer

Visual Effects

Not currently known.

Camera

Gil Kébaïli

Gil Kébaïli

Camera Operator

Barbara Brou

Barbara Brou

Still Photographer

Yanick Gentil

Yanick Gentil

Underwater Camera

Olivier Chasle

Olivier Chasle

Camera Operator

Yann Rineau

Yann Rineau

Camera Operator

Lighting

Not currently known.

Art Department

Charlène Letenneur

Charlène Letenneur

Graphic Designer

Other Crew

Emmanuel Blanche

Emmanuel Blanche

Medical Consultant

David Berdah

David Berdah

Legal Services

Gaël Clément

Gaël Clément

Scientific Consultant

Marc Herbin

Marc Herbin

Scientific Consultant

Thierry Decamps

Thierry Decamps

Scientific Consultant

Hugo Dutel

Hugo Dutel

Scientific Consultant

Régis Debruyne

Régis Debruyne

Scientific Consultant

Jean-Benoît Charrassin

Jean-Benoît Charrassin

Scientific Consultant

Angus Paterson

Angus Paterson

Scientific Consultant

Kerry Sink

Kerry Sink

Scientific Consultant

Paul Cowley

Paul Cowley

Scientific Consultant

Rose Thornycroft

Rose Thornycroft

Scientific Consultant

Russel Chalmers

Russel Chalmers

Scientific Consultant

Marc A. Hayek

Marc A. Hayek

Thanks

Alain Delamuraz

Alain Delamuraz

Thanks

Alexios Kitsopoulos

Alexios Kitsopoulos

Thanks

Cédric Gentil

Cédric Gentil

Logistics Coordinator

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