Filming ‘Penguin Safari’ was a real logistical challenge. South Georgia, where the film is based, has no permanent inhabitants and no airstrip. In order to get there, we chartered a boat, ‘Le Sourire’, from a fantastic husband-and-wife team of Antarctic experts. Their 60-foot yacht became our home for seven weeks. We sailed from the Falkland Islands with a crew of five – a cameraman, an editor, a sound recordist, a production coordinator and me as producer. Additionally, the yacht owners’ two children were on board, Theo, aged 9 and Marilou, aged 12. Mature beyond their years, they helped keep the yacht running and assisted with filming where possible – when they weren’t occupied with their dreaded school work!
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We suffered biting cold, wet feet, rain and snow, acres of penguin droppings and thousands of aggressive fur seals, but every second was worth it to spend a month amongst the jaw-dropping scenery and spectacular wildlife of South Georgia. I hope that through watching ‘Penguin Safari’ you can enter this world too.
Nigel Marvin- Producer, via National Geographic