British filmmaker exposes the challenging world polar bears face

Documentary filmmaker Alastair Fothergill has been watching and recording polar bears for over 20 years. His film 'Polar Bear' was born of his intuition that these unbelievably beautiful creatures who are dominant in their habitat will deliver a story.

However, he did not realise that climate change will affect the habitat of polar bears so fast. In the beginning, the team was not expecting the film to have an environmental component. "We did not know at the time how much climate change will affect the Arctic".

He added that the team was aware that the effects of climate change are happening faster in the Arctic than anywhere else in the world. "But, we did not expect it to be quite as drastic as it is".

The British filmmaker is telling the story of a species facing an increasingly challenging world. The plot revolves around a mom who is preparing to navigate motherhood relying on the memories of her own youth.

The film reveals how polar bears have been forced to adapt in the face of the climate crisis. "Some of the behaviours we captured are extraordinary. But they have a tough road ahead," says Fothergill.

Alastair Fothergill is known for producing popular nature documentary series like The Blue Planet (2001) and Planet Earth (2006). He also co-produced feature films like Deep Blue and Earth. Starting his career with BBC Natural History Unit, he worked on The Really Wild Show, Wildlife on One, The Trials of Life, and Life in the Freezer.

The team of Polar Bear spent 241 days in the field but missed an entire season due to the pandemic. Scientists from the Norwegian Polar Institute were consulted to learn about the region and bear behaviour. Narrated by two-time Academy Award nominee Catherine Keener, the documentary is streaming on Disney+ Hotstar.