Speech of the GLM Executive Board at San Sebastián film festival –
world premiere of “Deep Blue”
Block 1: (Stefan Beiten)
Introduction to self
Thank you Rupert Gavin for your words of appreciation. There is really not much to add.
For Greenlight, working with BBC Worldwide as one of the worlds leading providers of documentaries was much like being a tugboat for a grand ocean liner. Despite the size, the tugboat can help the ocean liner manoeuvre gently and swiftly. Deep Blue has once again rendered proof to what the combination of the right partners, although different in size, but common in vision can achieve.
Of course Deep Blue would never have been possible without BBC Worldwide allowing us to take one of their premier properties to the next level of evolution. To quote George Fenton, it was like Michael Schumacher allowing you to use his Ferrari.
We from Greenlight sincerely feel that Deep Blue marks another great moment in the yet so young history of theatrical documentaries. We are confident that Deep Blue will encourage other filmmakers to venture into the plethora of thrilling natural history and documentary stories and bring them to the big screen. The rewarding experience about theatrical documentaries is that it allows you to state a profound message, but offer high quality entertainment. Films such as Winged Migration and Microcosm have already proven that there is in fact an audience and appetite for factual cinema.
Block 2 (Nikolaus Weil)
Introduction to self
Without the vision, effort and inspiration of the many skilled individuals involved we wouldn’t be here tonight. Unfortunately, we can thank the entire list of crew members as it would probably take us well until the morning hours.
However, we would like to use the opportunity to extend our thanks to
some of the essential makers of Deep Blue!
Our heart felt thanks to the creative masterminds Alistair Fothergill and Andy Byatt. Alistair is currently once again at the bottom of the ocean off of the Mexican Coast. Thank you to the immaculate George Fenton and the Berlin Philharmonic for finding a very special way of telling the story of Deep Blue in music.
A big thank you to the enduring and passionate Producers or should I say “Producerholics”, Alix Tidmarsh and Sophocles Tasioulis, for making the inconceivable conceivable. Walter Köhler for sparking the flame.
We feel that this is only the beginning of a great relationship and an indication of more to come.
Finally, we would like to thank the many foreign distribution partners, that have recently joined the Deep Blue family, especially WandaVision and the Fortha group who have hosted this wonderful event.
Of course, thank you to all of you for sharing this truly special moment with us.