For more than 20 years we have been participating in the production of numerous documentaries,

mainly on topics in the natural history and environmental field.

Here some apects of our work:

Media News

On Air:

Latest Production: The Caribbean as 5-part series was screened on

ARTE from 13th to 17th March 2017

and repeated several times since

Battle on ARTE: Pirate (-Blennies) of the Caribbean fighting over their territory

"Animal myths: The children of the Pink Dolphin"

TV Documentary from the Amazon River

was on air

Thursday, 27. Oktober 2016 at 19.30 h on ARTE

"Plastik: Erfolgsgeschichte oder Zeitbombe?"

(Plastic: success story or time bomb?) D/F

TV reportage with HYDRA researcher Dr. Miriam Weber

was on air 26th of April 2016, 22.00 h on Bavarian Television

and 29th of April 2016, 8.30 h and 17.10 h on ARTE

Now on the Youtube Channel of Bavarian Television (in German):

Caribbean calling ...

photo: George Hughes

We tasted a bit of Caribbean feeling during a scouting trip where we filmed tiger sharks, lemon sharks and Caribbean reef sharks. More to come soon ....

Update: we are still travelling and filming hard....

Update again: DONE!

Awards and Nominations for our Expédition Meditérranée series

"The Last of their Kind" (part 5 of Expedition Meditérranée series)

Grand Prix at the 18th Intl. Underwater Film Festival Belgrade

Special Prize "Humans and Nature" at one of the oldest Animal Film Festivals, the   Festival International du Film Animalier at Albert (France)  

Special show at Darßer NaturfilmFestival, OZEANEUM Stralsund (Germany)

Nomination for Special Prize of the Jury (Biodiversity) at Naturvision Film Festival, Ludwigsburg (Germany)

"The Voyagers" (part 2 of Expedition Meditérranée series)

Nomination at Darßer NaturfilmFestival, Darß and Stralsund (Germany)

It was On Air:

"Expédition Méditerranée series": 100-minutes summary on UNIVERSUM, ORF, Austrian Television

Our Mediterranean Series in one film: Tuesday, 29th July 2014, 20.30 h on ORF2

Foto: ORF/BR/Reinhard Dirscherl/WaterFrame

Update from the statistics shows the success: This show has been viewed by 22% of all audience and had an internal rating of 4.7 of 5.0!

"WELT DER TIERE" - "WORLD OF ANIMALS": DOUBLE FEATURE SATURDAY/SUNDAY

The Dolphin Farm (26th April 2014, 09.30 h on Bavarian Television)

From the press release: "Dolphins and fishermen are competing for the last resources of the Mediterranean Sea. But in the Bay of Golfo Aranci in Sardinia they seem to have found an agreement - in the Dolphin Farm.

Fish is getting rare and the fight humans vs. marine mammals is getting harder. Even rifles and explosives are being used. Because Dolphins have learned to steal fish form the fishermen's nets. But there is a place where they settled a peace agreement: In Golfo Aranci in Sardinia dolphins come to a fish farm, are surveyed by scientists and live on the wild fish attracted by the abundant feed around the fish cages. The film crew was able to observe unique interactions here, because a group of at least 17 Bottlenose Dolphins has given up its migration behaviour and became resident." Commissioning editor: Bernd Strobel, BR

The Sea of Hunters (27th April 2014, 15.15 h on Bavarian Television)

From the press release: "Tourists are terrified of them: the hunters and killers from the oceans' deep. Even at the beaches of the tourist magnet Mediterranean Sea there are said to occur countless creatures that could ruin your swim... From the jelly that can cause severe burns and even scars with thousands of microscopic stinging cells to the alledgedly fatal sting of the Geater Weever, a small fish buried in the sand. From the majestic Blue Shark to the gigantic Sixgill Shark rising from the Deep-Sea. Biologist Christian Lott is on the tracks of the hunters. But his voyages through the underwater world of the "Mare Nostrum" depicts a different view. The great predators like sharks, tuna or the Brown Grouper are at the brink of extinction. Can we still save these majestic animals?" Commissioning editor: Bernd Strobel, BR

In one Week around the Mediterranean Sea: 16th - 20th December 2013 on ARTE TV

The Mediterranean - the cradle of western civilisations was the stage for our latest production. What came out is a series about its natural wonders, that still exist here, and about their vulnerability.

A series about nature and humankind, conflicts and change, history and a glimpse into the furture of the mare nostrum ...

Our latest TV 5-part Documentary for Christmas on ARTE television

„Expedition Mittelmeer – Méditerranée sauvage“

Two years of shooting for the Med Sea documentary. Some impressions:

Thousands of kilometers by car, hundreds of days at sea, many weeks under water sitting still for minutes in front of a tiny creature, trying to put it in focus with a long swell shaking you back and forth. Crawling into so far unexplored underwater caves on a small Aegean island to find the rarest marine mammal of the Mediterranean Sea, the monk seal. Zig-zagging the deep blue waters of the Ionian Sea on the hunt for the biggest predators of the planet, the gigantic Sperm whale. Mixed-gas night dives with several knots of current in the Strait of Messina to film the rare six-gill shark. Getting caught in the deep fog far out at sea off the Balearic Islands with no wind on a 102-years old pirate ship-like research vessel. And after that riding a severe Mistral storm with two anchors out, and dragging. Schools of dozens of dolphins around the ship, filming fearless loggerhead turtles basking at the surface from touching distance, pods of pilot whales all around and bulls nervously watching their newborn….

„Expedition Mittelmeer – Méditerranée sauvage“

(1): Les légendaires. lunedi 16 décembre 2013, 19.00 Uhr, (red. lunedi 23.12., 07.40 h) ARTE

(2): Les voyageurs. mardi 17 décembre 2013, 19.00 Uhr, (red. mardi 24.12., 07.50 h) ARTE

(3): Les migrateurs. mercredi 18 décembre 2013, 19.00 Uhr, (red. mercredi 25.12., 07.45 h) ARTE

(4): Les chasseurs. jeudi 19 décembre 2013, 19.00 Uhr, (red. jeudi., 26.12., 07.45 h) ARTE

(5): Les survivants. vendredi 20 décembre 2013, 19.00 Uhr, (red. vendredi 27.12., 07.45 h) ARTE

 more info on ARTE TV: http://www.arte.tv/guide/fr/045506-003/mediterranee-sauvage-1-5

Around the World in one Week:

Our 5-part documentary series will be shown on ARTE again!

For part 3 "Canada“ and part 4 "Atlantic Ocean“ we were facing hundred thousands of salmons in roaring rivers, went after sea lions and elephant seals, tracked down Giant Octopus and Wolfeel and were "embraced" by humpback whales.

_{„Expedition 50 Grad – Auf dem Breitengrad der Extreme“}

_{(Expedition 50 degrees – Latitude of Extremes)}

_{(1): Central Asia. Monday 02 December 2013, 15.40 h, (repeated Sa. 07.12., 13.05; Mo., 16.12., 10.25 h) on ARTE}

_{(2): Kamtchatka. Tuesday 03 December 2013, 15.54 h, (repeated Tuesday 17.12., 10.25 h) on ARTE}

_{(3): Canada. Wednesday 04 December 2013, 15.45 h, (repeated Wednesday 18.12., 10.25 h) on ARTE}

_{(4): Atlantic Ocean. Thursday 05 December 2013, 15.50 h, (Tue. 10.12., 15.45 h; Thu. 19.12., 10.25 h) on ARTE}

_{(5): Europe. Friday 06 December 2011, 19.30 h, (repeated Sat. 07.12., 12.20 h; Fr. 20.12., 10.30 h) on ARTE}

more info on www.arte.tv

Follow us into the abbyss!

Our latest production on new discoveries in the deep-sea:

LEBEN AM LIMIT - Geheimnisse der Tiefsee

LA VIE EXTREME - Les mystères des abysses

(LIFE AT THE LIMIT - Secrets of the deep)

was on ARTE

Friday, 2. September 2011, 21.45 Uhr

and was repeated:
03.09.2011, 09:55

Leben am Limit / La vie extrême
(Deutschland, 2011, 52mn)
BR
Regie: Florian Guthknecht

on ARTE.tv

Major productions of the last years:

2011

MYSTERIES OF THE ABYSS - A Science Revolution

This very special production put us on the track of some of the most unusual life forms: Animals that do not eat. Animals that live at deep-sea volcanoes. Animals that have developed the strategy to live on toxic hydrogen sulfide, or on methane or even hydrogen! The HYDRA scientists Miriam Weber and Christian Lott follow the call of their professor. Dr. Nicole Dubilier from the Max-Planck-Institute for Marine Microbiology in Bremen is one of the renowned specialists for the so-called "chemosynthetic symbioses". These are animals that harbour bacteria that do the job for them. The voyage brings the researchers from the shallow sandy bays of the Island of Elba to a sleeping giant: the Marsili Seamount. It is situated just north of Sicily and is the biggest underwater volcano of the Mediterranean Sea. And it bears a secret... During a dive in a submersible to almost 600 meters depth the explorers discover tube worms - chemosynthetic tubeworms that obviously live on the volcanic effusions of the Marsili. Still deeper they dive at their next station, this time with a remotely-operated vehicle. The expedition led by Dr. Nicole Dubilier on the German research vessel METEOR explores the Menez Gwen, a deep-sea volcano at the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, the longest mountain chain on our planet. Here our search for the hydrogen-fuelled animal continues...

Leben am Limit - Expedition in die Tiefsee
Mysteries of the Abyss - A Science Revolution

D, 2011,  45'/52', Flowmotion Film, BR, ARTE, ZDF Enterprises
Story: Florian Guthknecht, Christian Lott
Author: Florian Guthknecht
Camera: Michael Boxrucker, Sigurd Tesche, Christian Lott (HYDRA), Roberto Rinaldi, Florian Guthknecht

  The DVD (deutsch/english) is available from www.flowmotion-film.de

2010

Around the world along the 50° N parallel: Canada summer 2010

2010 brought us in cold waters again. We shot on both sides of Canada on various locations mainly for whales, wrecks, kelp, giant octopus, wolf eel and lots of small critters

and what came out was this:

Around the World in one Week:

5-part documentary series on ARTE

  For part 3 “Canada“ and part 4 “Atlantic Ocean“

we were facing hundred thousands of salmons in roaring rivers,

went after sea lions and elephant seals, tracked down Giant Octopus and Wolfeel and were "embraced" by humpback whales.

„Expedition 50 Grad – Auf dem Breitengrad der Extreme“

(Expedition 50 degrees – Latitude of Extremes)

(1): Central Asia. Monday 21 March 2011, 19.30 Uhr, (repeated Monday 28 March, 14 h) on ARTE

(2): Kamtchatka. Tuesday 22 März 2011, 19.30 Uhr, (repeated Tuesday 29 March, 14 h) on ARTE

(3): Canada. Wednesday 23 March 2011, 19.30 Uhr, (repeated Wednesday 30 March, 14 h) on ARTE

(4): Atlantic Ocean. Thursday 24 March 2011, 19.30 Uhr, (repeated Thursday 31 March, 16 h) on ARTE

(5): Europe. Friday 25 March 2011, 19.30 Uhr, (repeated Friday 01 April, 16 h) on ARTE

more info on www.arte.tv

Some images ....

In the mirky blue-green waters around  Newfoundland and on the St. Lawrence River a close encounter with humpback whales makes you feel soo small...

... even in a 10-meter inflatable.

Beautifully colored bottom life contrasts with the mostly greenish water which in summer is quite warm with 15 degree around Vancouver ...

... but still ice cold with summer temperatures sometimes below 0°C in Newfoundland and deep in the Saguenay River.

With an arm span of up to 9 meters the Giant Pacific Octopus is a strong competitor for food ...

... to the wolfeel, e.g. for crabs.

Young harbor seals curiously approach snorkelers. This species occurs all around the northern hemisphere, thus can be found on both sides of Canada

One of the biggest freshwater fishes: the White Sturgeon still lives in the Fraser River

2009

It's shark time!

2009 was definitely our year of the sharks. We had the chance to work with both the two biggest fish species on Earth: the whale shark Rhincodon typus and the basking shark Cetorhinus maximus. Basking sharks gather in summer in the Irish Sea, around the Isle of Man. Here we shot a beautiful story about Jackie and Graham Hall, a passionate researcher couple. With great personal effort and enthusiasm they try to learn more about these gentle giants to help to better protect them.
In South Africa we travelled with German actress Wolke Hegenbarth along the east coast, visiting fabulous people who brought us in contact with "their" sharks. Charles Maxwell, "the" shark filmer at the Cape and one of the best in the world, took us through the kelp forests around Cape Town with as many as 6 shark species in one spot, from the small shysharks to the calm but already quite massive Sevengill Cow Shark and the occasional Great White Shark. Charles was as well our guide up the coast towards Mozambique. We met Enrico Gennari, an Italian marine biologist who works for Oceans Research at Mossel Bay on the conservation of the Great White. Matt Dicken joined us at Unkomaas. He is a biologist at Port Elizabeth and came to Mark Addison's diving center to explain us his research on tiger sharks. Mark was one of the first operators to work with tigers around Aliwal Shoals, and he is one of the best I ever worked with. Diving freely amongst dozens of black-tip sharks and up to five tiger sharks who were just about tearing a huge loggerhead turtle in pieces was for sure the most intense moment of the whole trip. Fortunately we got out of the water in time... Mark Addison also was one of the first to logistically develop access to the most spectacular marine event on Earth, the Sardine Run. Heading further north to the stunning National Park at Sodwana we dove with several whale sharks and had a glimpse on one of the southern-most coral reefs in the world, led by Samantha and Rob Bester, another great couple of dedicated diving people.

Check the following websites for more info on our regional partners:

Jackie and Graham Hall, Manx Basking Shark Whatch, Isle of Man
www.manxbaskingsharkwhatch.com

Charles Maxwell, Cape Town
www.underwatervideo.co.za

Ocean Reearch, Mosselbai
www.oceans-research.com

Mark Addison, Aliwal Shoal, Unkomaas
www.bluewilderness.co.za

Samantha and Rob Bester, Sodwana Natl. Park
www.gypsea.co.za

Two magazine style short films were out before:

The secret track of the basking sharks
Der geheime Weg der Riesenhaie

D, 2009,  5 min., ARD, W wie Wissen magazine
story: Florian Guthknecht
author: Florian Guthknecht
topside camera: Raimund Lesk, Christian Lott (HYDRA)
under water camera: Christian Lott

check the video on ARD Mediathek:
http://www.ardmediathek.de/ard/servlet/content/3517136?documentId=2951332
 

The tiger shark's friend
Der Freund der Tigerhaie

D, 2009,  5 min., ARD, W wie Wissen magazine
story: Florian Guthknecht
author: Florian Guthknecht
topside camera: Niki Klemstein
under water camera: Christian Lott (HYDRA)

check the video on ARD Mediathek:
http://www.ardmediathek.de/ard/servlet/content/3517136?documentId=2951350

also from this production:

The Making of "The beauty and the sharks"
Das Making-of "Die Schöne und der Hai"

D, 2010,  6 min., BR
story: Florian Guthknecht
author: Florian Guthknecht
topside camera: Niki Klemstein
under water camera: Charles Maxwell, Christian Lott (HYDRA)

The main films on sharks:

The secret of the Basking sharks -
Gentle Giants
Das Geheimnis der Riesenhaie -
Sanfte Giganten

D, 2010,  45/ 2 x 30 min., ARTE/BR
story: Florian Guthknecht, Christian Lott
author: Florian Guthknecht
topside camera: Raimund Lesk, Christian Lott (HYDRA)
under water camera: Christian Lott

The Beauty and the Shark -
Sharks of South Africa
Die Schöne und der Hai -
Haie vor South Africa

D, 2010,  45/ 2 x 30 min., ARTE/BR/ARD
story: Florian Guthknecht
author: Florian Guthknecht
topside camera: Niki Klemstein
under water camera: Christian Lott (HYDRA), Charles Maxwell

 The DVD (German/French) is available through www.flowmotion-film.de

2008

Environmental Elba
Umwelt Elbas

ZDF Umwelt Toskana
D, 2008, 6 min., magazine, ZDF
presenter: Mara Bergmann
author: Michael Wiedemann
u/w camera: Christian Lott (HYDRA)
on-site logistics: Boris Unger and Andrea Werner (HYDRA)

special:

presenter u/w, with full-face mask communication system, generously provided by
Unterwasser-Moderation, UW-Sprecheinrichtung dankenswerterweise zur Verfügung gestellt von

2007

The King of the Bees
Der Bienenkönig von Elba

D, 2007, 8 min., magazine, ARD/BR
author: Florian Guthknecht
camera: Sorin Dragoi, Christian Lott (HYDRA)
 

The Sharks from Coburg
Die Haie von Coburg, VOX Tierzeit

D, 2007, 45 min., magazine, VOX
presenter: Dirk Steffens
author: Friederike Schmidt-Vogt
camera: Patrick “Pepe” Brandt
u/w camera: Christian Lott (HYDRA)
on-site logistics: Boris Unger (HYDRA)

2006

Revolution at the Reef, part I: Hope for the Coral; Revolution at the Reef, part II: Hope for the Fish
Revolution am Riff (1): Hoffnung für die Korallen; Revolution am Riff (2): Hoffnung für die Fische
La battaille du corail (1) - Les sentinelles de la Gande Barrière; La battaille du corail (2) - Mobilisation pour les poissons

D/F, 2006, 2 x 45/52 min., ARTE/BR
story: Florian Guthknecht, Christian Lott
author: Florian Guthknecht
topside camera: Athol Foster, Richard Fitzpatrick, Christian Lott (HYDRA), Christian Redinger
under water camera: Richard Fitzpatrick, Christian Lott (HYDRA), Ron and Valerie Taylor

awards:
Prix Information Actualité, Festival d’Image Sous-Marin, Antibes, France 2006
“Best under water camera”, Special award, category: Worlds under water, 20th NATURALE film festival, Germany, 2007

Lord Howe Island - Paradise unchanged
Lord Howe Island - Paradies am Ende der Welt

D/AUS, 2006, 45/52 min., ARTE/ZDF und flowmotion film
story: Florian Guthknecht, Christian Lott
author: Florian Guthknecht
topside camera: Richard Fitzpatrick, David Curl, Christian Lott (HYDRA)
under water camera: Christian Lott (HYDRA)

The DVD (German/English/French) is available through www.flowmotion-film.de

Lord Howe Phasmid - The rarest Insect on Earth
Phasmid - das seltenste Insekt der Welt

D, 2006, 7 min., magazine, ARD/BR
author: Florian Guthknecht
camera: Christian Lott (HYDRA)

Landscape Portraits - Tuscan Islands II: Elba
Bilder einer Landschaft - Toskanische Inseln II: Elba

D, 2006, 43 min., ARD/BR
author: Florian Guthknecht
camera: Sorin Dragoi
u/w camera: Christian Lott (HYDRA)

2005

Quallen – Schreckliche Schönheiten
La Meduse – Belle, cruelle, mortelle
Jelly fish – a lethal beauty

D/F, 2005/6, 45 min., ARTE/BR
story: Florian Guthknecht, Christian Lott (HYDRA)
author/producer: Florian Guthknecht
topside camera: Klaus Axthammer, Richard Fitzpatrick
under water camera: Christian Lott (HYDRA), Sigi Braun, Richard Fitzpatrick

awards:
Palme d’Or and Prix du Président de la Republique, Festival d’Image Sous-Marin, Antibes, France 2005
Bronze medal 18th NATURALE film festival, Germany, 2005
Nomination Mountain and Adventure Film Festival, Graz, Austria, 2005
Best Wildlife Film, category: best under water film, Festival Albert, France, 2006
Winner “Solunto d’Oro”, Solunto Film Festival, Palermo, Italy, 2006
Invited Feature, Ocean Fest, San Francisco, USA, 2006
Invited Feature, 5th Celebrate the Sea Festival @ ADEX, Singapore, 2006
Nomination and featured tour film, CSIRO Festival of Science Film, SCINEMA 08, Australia, 2008
Special Prize of the Jury, Matsalu Film Festival, Estonia, 2008

Seasnakes - gentle but lethal
Das Rätsel der Seeschlangen

D, 2005, 30 min., BR
story: Florian Guthknecht, Christian Lott (HYDRA)
author/producer: Florian Guthknecht
topside camera: Richard Fitzpatrick, Christian Lott (HYDRA)
under water camera: Christian Lott (HYDRA), Richard Fitzpatrick

Baitcam
Köderkamera

D, 2005, 7 min., magazine, ARD/BR
author: Florian Guthknecht
camera: Christian Lott (HYDRA)

Spiny Gold
Stacheliges Gold

D, 2005, 7 min., magazine, ARD/BR
author: Florian Guthknecht
camera: Christian Lott (HYDRA)

REEF HQ - The Biggest Reef Aquarium
Das größte Riffaquarium

D, 2005, 7 min., magazine, ARD/BR
author: Florian Guthknecht
camera: Christian Lott (HYDRA)

Eternal Youth from the Reef?
Ewige Jugend aus dem Riff?

D, 2005, 7 min., magazine, ARD/BR
author: Florian Guthknecht
camera: Christian Lott (HYDRA)

2002

Montecristo and Pianosa: Islands for Sale?
Montecristo und Pianosa: Inseln im Ausverkauf?

D, 2002, 30 min., BR, Magazine "Kompass"
story: Florian Guthknecht/Christian Lott
author/producer: Florian Guthknecht
topside camera: Wolfgang Seif
under water camera/aerials: Christian Lott (HYDRA)

2001

Das Rätsel der Monte Cervantes / Lost at Cape Horn I + II

D/F, 2001, 45 min., ARTE/ZDF/Spiegel TV
(int’l version 2 x 52 min)
Tauchgang am Ende der Welt
story: Marc Brasse (Spiegel TV)/Matthias Kopfmüller (Greenscreen)
author: Marc Brasse (Spiegel TV)
topside camera: Bernd Zühlke
under water camera: Sascha Kellersohn, Christian Lott (HYDRA)

Landscape portraits - Tuscan Islands I: Giglio, Giannutri, Montecristo, Pianosa
Bilder einer Landschaft - Toskanische Inseln I: Giglio, Giannutri, Montecristo, Pianosa

D, 2001, 43 min., BR
story: Florian Guthknecht/Christian Lott
author/producer: Florian Guthknecht
topside camera: Wolfgang Seif
under water camera: Christian Lott (HYDRA)

Il Parco del Grande Mare

I, 2001, 50 min., TECNO77, Rome
for National Park Authority Tuscan Archipelago
author/producer: Carlo Pinelli
topside camera: Enrico Pergolini, Alessandro Ojetti
under water camera: Christian Lott (HYDRA)