Out and down there you're nothing without a team
Since almost 20 years we have been participating in the production of numerous documentaries, mainly on topics in the natural history and environmental field. We are grateful for the collaboration with many highly professional colleagues and friends. There is our friend Wolf Wichmann, a geologist and science writer, who especially in the beginning, and with the first big production, was the best diving companion an underwater cameraman could have. Also many helpful discussions and hints came from the ’Cape Horn Team 2000’. In a very intense internship at the First German Television/Bavarian Television (BR, Munich) I learned the hard business of getting the images from the wild onto screen and to the people, sometimes under high time pressure. I have been enjoying working with Sigurd Tesche (Tesche Dokumentarfilm) under the vulcano and the topics beyond. I’m especially pleased to collaborate with so highly skilled underwater cameramen as Richard Fitzpatrick (Digital Dimensions, Townsville, Australia), Charles Maxwell (Underwatervideo, Cape Town, South Africa), Sigi Braun (Füssen, Allgäu) and Roberto Rinaldi (Rome).
Our success would not be possible without our friend Florian Guthknecht a young internationally honoured filmmaker, with whom we had and continue to have the most fruitful cooperation in productions we do worldwide.
The best of all is the home base to start from, to work at and to come back to: our field station on the Island of Elba with its dedicated team of biologists, divers and above all friends.
Thank you all!
Christian Lott
Recently on Air /
Ausstrahlungstermine:
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
Current Productions:
The Mediterranean - the cradle of western civilizations is the topic of our current big production. It will become 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...
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“ (Wednesday, 23 March, 19.30h) and part 4 “Atlantic Ocean“ (Thursday, 24. March, 19.30h)
together with Florian Guthknecht (BR) 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)
