NHK co-produces wildlife documentaries with international partners

Among the most resonant is the Mysterious Planet (5x'48), which represents unique ecosystems at critical points of biodiversity. 'The series represents a new genre that combines science and wildlife', Masa Hayakawa, executive producer of NHK Enterprises, explained to Prensario, who noted that it is a co-production with NHNZ (New Zealand), with which NHK has been related during the last 20 years, for ARTE France, Discovery Channel and Youku (China).

Mysterious Planet

‘The production was unique, as each team produced a series of episodes: NHNZ is a trusted partner, which is the most important thing in making high quality shows. Difficulty in achieving mutual understanding is a frequent problem in many international co-production projects, but we don't have that tension with them', he added.
 
Mysterious Planet is the third series. 'We did the first in 2011 and the second in 2014. The direct impetus was the tenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (COP10), which was held in Japan in 2010. Biodiversity and environmental problems they are a global concern that goes beyond countries, which made us think that we needed a global appeal', completed Hayakawa.
 
The executive also highlighted another great project in 8K: Okavango: A Flood of Life ('52), which documents a year of the creatures in a vast wetland that forms when water flows only a few months into the Kalahari desert in Botswana and causes a flood. For its production, NHK partnered with Emmy nominated cameraman Brad Bestelink. ‘He is the most outstanding filmmaker in Africa with an immeasurable knowledge of nature. He grew up in Okavango with Senabe (River Bushman who appears on the show as the narrator), which gives the show great depth, "Hayakawa added.

Okavango: A Flood of Life 

Produced by Icon Films, Fremantle (UK) and NHK's Natural History Unit, Okavango: A Flood of Life is a story of water, and gives a clear idea of ​​how living things depend on relatively small amounts. fresh water. The audiovisual piece, distributed globally by Fremantle, shows the local fauna receiving the water, and also their fight for survival when it disappears. "I hope the program gives people an idea of ​​the value of water that we all take for granted," he said.
 
Finally, NHK highlights Wild Tokyo ('58) representing the world of wild creatures that inhabit Tokyo, the largest megacity in the world. Some of the highlights are a battle between a northern goshawk (the king of the forest) and the tanuki raven (relative of wild dogs) using a rail line as a trail, or a great battle between a gecko and a mantis religious. ‘For us, Tokyo is very familiar. So I thought we needed a new perspective from the outside. Oxford Scientific Films (OSF) is one of the oldest production companies in the UK (Wild Korea). We overcame certain difficulties during production, and I think the results are consequently very good, "Hayakawa said.

Wild Tokyo

Distributed by ITV Studios (UK), Wild Tokyo is a program that shows the possibilities of coexistence between the animal world and human ecosystems. ‘Spectators will be amazed that so many creatures live in the megalopolis of Tokyo. It is a timely program for an era in which people are considering what cities should be like in the future', he concluded.