"Because this gesture towards nature is important..."
Alexander V. Kammel – President of the International Tourfilm Academy talks about the Academy’s decision.
who decided to take on this challenging topic, and his official acceptance speech for the award;
Anna Choszcz-Sendrowska, spokesperson for the State Forests,
who represented the General Directorate of State Forests during the ceremony.
Ewa Kotus:The Board of the International Tourfilm Academy decided that the beautiful “Tourist Owl” statuette would be awarded to the film “Amphibians. Pioneers of Life on Land,” directed by Sławomir Skupiński from the Forest Film Studio of the State Forests. The film is produced by the General Directorate of the State Forests, with the executive producer being the Forest Film Studio of the State Forests in Bedoń. And so it happened, the statuette was presented during the Awards Ceremony of the 19th FilmAT Festival at the Museum of Sport and Tourism, and as you decided, the film will serve scientists in their educational work. It’s a difficult film, right, because amphibians evoke extreme feelings in us, for some, disgust, for others, sympathy…
Alexander V. Kammel: Above all, the film proves that nothing in nature happens by chance, and we, humans, should respect Mother Nature. And just as the film’s director, Sławomir Skupiński, emphasized when accepting the award, I must quote his strong words here: “Amphibians are essential in the environment because they are a crucial part of the food chain, having a significant impact on the cycle of matter in nature. As active predators, they themselves are also food for many larger animals. This is very important. The extinction of amphibians would disrupt the chain of these dependencies. The consequences of this, undoubtedly tragic, are impossible to predict…”
E.K.: We are talking about natural dependencies in the natural world, but humans also appreciate the taste qualities of some amphibians. Frog legs are one of the more well-known delicacies in French and Belgian cuisine.
A.V.K.: It is hard to imagine that the French or Belgians would give up this delicacy. Yet, according to a report published by the German organization Pro Wild Life, these culinary traditions could push amphibians from Indonesia, Turkey, and Albania to the brink of extinction. Every year, Europe imports 200 million frogs – mostly wild-caught. The solution is farms breeding species like the water frog or the edible frog, which are specifically raised for consumption.
E.K.: Let’s return to the natural dependencies in the world of nature. I would like to invite Michał Ogrodowczyk, the head of the Forest Film Studio of the State Forests, to join our conversation. He made the decision to tackle this difficult topic in the film. Please reveal to us the details behind the decision to create such an important film. The director emphasized that amphibians are the first vertebrates to leave water and gave rise to higher forms of life on land. We cannot allow their loss; we must learn about them. Was this the main reason for creating such a challenging film?
Michał Ogrodowczyk: That’s correct, this was the most important reason—to use the film to draw attention to the problems amphibians are facing. From time to time, we take on the challenge of creating a documentary in which we tell the story of a species, or species of animals, plants, and fungi, that are disappearing or on the brink of extinction right before our eyes, such as the European pond turtle or the capercaillie. These are difficult topics. However, through such films, we can reach many viewers and raise their awareness of the misfortunes that modern nature is facing, without which we, humans, would not survive. Our films are primarily meant to sensitize these aspects and educate.
A.V.K.: It should be emphasized that the film is complete, prepared in detail. It is a lecture film. It is a testament to the high level of professionalism of the entire film crew. How do you plan the filming time for such a movie? After all, preparing such a production requires tremendous commitment from the filmmakers, meaning that regardless of the obstacles that may arise, the film should be made. Furthermore, with almost every film you produce, the waiting time for certain animal reactions is difficult to determine…
M.O.: It’s difficult to answer these questions in just a few sentences. Each of our films is a different topic, with different characters, different requirements, different workloads, and different planning. Such a film is always a huge challenge for us. Its production is largely dependent on nature, on its “whims,” surprising situations, and unforeseen twists. However, in a sense, we are immune to this and prepared. Years of practice have shaped certain behaviors in us. Above all, we are aware that we cannot complete such a challenging film in one year. Therefore, for demanding topics, we plan at least two years of production. This time allows us to film at a comfortable pace, and what we missed in the first year, we can capture in the next. In nature, many phenomena occur simultaneously, especially in the spring, when nature, awakening from winter, bursts with various events. Everything blooms, develops, migrates, and begins reproduction, etc., and we must manage to capture all of this with cameras. It is an intense time for the whole crew, who during this period shoot practically from dawn to dusk, for several weeks. But despite the fatigue, often lack of sleep, and difficult field conditions, we don’t complain, and the results of this work can later be seen in the film.
E.K.: The films from the Forest Film Studio of the State Forests are gaining more and more fame around the world, and you are receiving awards in the farthest corners of the world. This is uplifting, because these films often address difficult issues. The film about amphibians is not the only one that seems like an impossible documentary to watch in its entirety…
M.O.: Thanks to various online platforms that offer a wide reach, we can share our films with millions of viewers. Specifically for this purpose, we created an English-language channel on YouTube, Forest Film Studio, which is very popular. We also send our productions to film festivals in Poland and abroad, where they are well received and, most importantly, awarded. We notice that our films evoke many emotions. Their universal, often difficult message is not only relevant to Poland but to the entire world. Almost every day, the media show various events, such as natural disasters, that have a huge impact on our lives. This causes our awareness of the loss of such an important element of the world, namely nature, to have a catastrophic effect on the existence of the entire planet.
A.V.K.: Much harm is caused by humans. And it would seem that educating, for example, a thoughtless villager who sets fire to grass would be enough… But, in fact, huge damage is caused by misguided decisions made by authorities that destroy the natural biodiversity of an area. For example, the concreting of rivers is unacceptable. I remember a beautiful film about “Forest Rivers,” which two years ago received the “Tourist Owl” statuette from the International Tourfilm Academy. The film was a tribute to forest nature, which is a sanctuary for wild rivers, as it naturally plays a protective and retention role. It is encouraging to see that at international festivals, it’s not only your films that fight for the preservation of nature’s natural values…
M.O.: Unfortunately, the outlook is not optimistic. The world of nature is dramatically shrinking, amphibians are becoming fewer, and other animals are also heavily endangered. We often see how ruthlessly we interfere with the natural world. Unjustified drainage systems causing droughts and huge fires, river pollution, loss of valuable forests, the creation of settlements or entire cities where they should not be, are just some of our tragic actions leading to the loss of many unique habitats or entire ecosystems. These are the most moving images, and we should do everything we can to ensure that these apocalyptic visions do not come true.
E.K.: Let’s remind that the International Tourfilm Academy was established by me as the director at the FilmAT Festival in Płock in 2007, and I invited you – Alexander V. Kammel – to serve as the president due to your international experience in this field. In the beginning, there were the International Tourfilm Academy conferences organized alongside the Festival. Then we created the Owl with wings ready for flight, so that it could truly educate, helping scientists at universities around the Word. Next year, the Academy will celebrate its beautiful 20th anniversary.
A.V.K.: I am glad that the “Tourist Owl” statuette highlights the importance of such valuable films, the preparation of which is very difficult and requires an incredibly large amount of dedication. It is almost a mission, which, due to its subject, the Forest Studio of the State Forests decided to take on. The world of science should make use of such cinematic gems. Young people are sensitive, so we need to use this student time to professionally signal these topics to them. Moreover, young people are demanding, and we need to present them with a true masterpiece to move them. And the “Tourist Owl” statuette, designed for the International Tourfilm Academy in 2011 by the famous artist Jacek Podlasiński, is so beautiful that it is the right award for the creators of such an important film.
E.K.: We must admit that tourists from all over the world are increasingly aware of how to make use of the forest, especially those who live in large cities…
A.V.K.: Yes, and that is encouraging when we see tourists who use the forest for recreation and relaxation. In everyday life, we chase after things, we are stressed, and the forest calms our nerves, quiets us, helps us relax, and encourages reflection. By breathing in a large amount of oxygen, our body regenerates in the forest. The forest is also a friend to athletes, both professional and regular sports enthusiasts; forest runs, long bike trails, horseback riding, or even Nordic Walking walks for people of all ages are already a common sight on forest paths. But it is becoming increasingly popular among tourists to practice disciplines such as orienteering, survival skills as a way to survive, trekking, which is long-distance hiking as an adventure tourism activity…
Here are beautiful shots from the film “Forest Rivers” by the Forest Film Studio of the State Forests,
directed by Sławomir Skupiński, which won the “Tourist Owl” statuette in 2022.
E.K.: A natural, undisturbed forest is also a feast for our eyes. For me, a wonderful hobby for tourists is birdwatching, and not only with the naked eye, but also through binoculars or a telescope. We then learn to distinguish birds and their songs, which sound the most beautiful in the quiet of the forest. Butterfly watching doesn’t have such a trendy name yet, but these beauties can also appear before our eyes in forest meadows and along forest paths.
A.V.K.: The lush forest takes care of all the senses of the tourist, which is why we should take our hats off to filmmakers like the high-class professionals of the Forest Film Studio in Bedoń, who often, with great effort and dedication, document how important each and every smallest element of forest nature is. For if Mother Nature has brought it to life, it should remain that way. That is why the river, not confined in concrete bounds, should wind freely here, in the forest, and every frog, toad, or newt will be a worthy inhabitant. The biodiversity that Mother Nature provides in every climate zone is what truly matters.
E.K.: Thanking for this interesting conversation, I will quote the words of Sławomir Skupiński – the director of the film, which he said during the premiere:
“Amphibians deserve our attention because they are the first vertebrates that, having left the water, gave rise to higher forms of life on land. We cannot afford to lose them. So, let us hurry to get to know them, perhaps by observing their behaviors during the spring mating season, undoubtedly spectacular, or by traversing valuable habitats that are disappearing along with them. Let’s like them, even a little, which will undoubtedly help in their protection, and maybe then our grandchildren will still be able to see a frog, a toad, or a newt. While there’s still time, let’s head to the forest thickets and charming swamps to listen to the concerts of these little creatures, creating the unique atmosphere of spring and summer evenings…”
It is our great pleasure to invite you to watch the full version
of the film “Amphibians. Pioneers of Life on Land.”
