5 documentaries to watch on platforms to celebrate David Attenborough’s 100th birthday
From Our Planet to The Call of the Ocean to The Year the Earth Changed…
Between wonder and ecological alert, a look back at five recent films which tell, each in their own way, the fragile relationship between man and the living. On the occasion of David Attenborough’s centenary, these documentaries available in France offer both an intimate and global vision of the planet. All bear his narrative signature: an intact fascination for the living, mixed with an increasingly urgent concern.
The year the Earth changed
Available on myCANAL (via Apple TV)
Symbolic film of the Covid era, this documentary observes an unprecedented phenomenon: the sudden cessation of human activity and its immediate effects on nature. Cities suddenly silent, animals reappearing in deserted spaces, ecosystems temporarily freed from human pressure. Attenborough adopts an almost contemplative tone, but the observation is clear: nature reacts quickly, and sometimes spectacularly, as soon as humans retreat. A simple and powerful demonstration of our impact on the living world.
A Gorilla Story with David Attenborough
Available on Netflix
This documentary looks back on nearly fifty years of observing mountain gorillas. Attenborough recounts his first encounter with a wild group in the 1970s, then tracking their descendants over the decades. The film highlights the social complexity of these primates, their intelligence and their capacity for attachment, but also the conservation efforts that helped prevent their disappearance. A more intimate work than usual, almost personal, centered on the continuity of life on the scale of a lineage.
Wild Isles
Available on Prime Video
Here, Attenborough returns to a territory we think we know: the British Isles. However, the documentary reveals astonishing biodiversity, filmed with spectacular precision. Forests, meadows, coastlines: each ecosystem is explored as a world in its own right. But behind the beauty of the images, the observation is clear: these habitats are weakened by intensive agriculture and human pressure. A way of reminding us that the “wild” is not necessarily distant, but often right before our eyes.
The Call of the Ocean
Available on Disney+
This film focuses on the immensity of the oceans and their central role in the balance of the planet. Attenborough explores marine ecosystems of a wealth that is still largely unknown, from coral reefs to great depths. The documentary alternates scientific wonder and ecological concern, highlighting the growing threats: warming waters, plastic pollution, overexploitation of resources. A spectacular dive, but shot through with a silent urgency.
Our planet II
Available on Netflix
Following the great naturalist fresco, this new season focuses on animal migrations across the world. Millions of species on the move, connecting continents and oceans in a fragile balance. The images, shot across the four corners of the globe, show both the beauty of these natural cycles and their vulnerability to climate change. Attenborough fully plays his role as a conduit: transforming the spectacle into awareness.
