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Attenborough's film on ocean resilience attracts King Charles II to premiere

In his new film, which was premiered Tuesday night with King Charles present, British naturalist David Attenborough said that there is still hope for the oceans of our planet despite their massive damage.

Attenborough's latest work, "Ocean", charts the challenges that the seas have faced over the course of his career, from industrial fishing practices and coral bleaching to destructive industrial fishing.

In a trailer for the film, he says, "After nearly 100 years on Earth, I now know that the most important place is not on Earth, but at sea."

The release of the film in its entirety coincides with Attenborough’s 99th Birthday.

"When David Attenborough began, there were only two TV channels. Everyone knew him as the voice for nature. In an interview, Enric Sala, a National Geographic Pristine Seas co-founder and executive producer for the film, stated that there are now hundreds of channels.

The evening premiere, attended by John Kerry, former U.S. climate ambassador, and Cara Delevingne as well, took place in London on Tuesday, following a screening of the film for teachers and students that was also seen by Prince William.

In 2020, the heir to the throne will launch his Earthshot Prize worth millions of dollars, which will help inspire innovative environmental solutions.

Attenborough also has a close relationship with the Royal Family. He is a big supporter of Earthshot and in 2018, he filmed "The Queen's Green Planet" with the late Queen Elizabeth.

Sala said that it is important to show Attenborough's films to younger audiences.

Sala stated that she hoped that the young generations who attend the screening will be so inspired by the film that they would want to become the David Attenboroughs of the future.

The discovery of restored seabeds while filming offers hope despite depicting a bleak state of ocean health.

Attenborough, in the film, says that "the ocean can recover quicker than we imagined. It can bounce back to its life."

"If we can save the ocean, we will save our planet." "After a lifetime spent filming our planet, I'm certain that nothing is more vital."

The release of the film comes before the United Nations Ocean Conference in June, where it is hoped that more countries will ratify an agreement for 2023 to protect ocean biodiversity. This agreement currently lacks enough signatories to become effective. (Reporting by Susanna Twidale, Editing by Hugh Lawson & Tomaszjanowski)

(source: Reuters)