Yann Arthus-Bertrand and Omega to produce film about Earth’s oceans

Arthus-Bertrand’s film Home was the first feature-length movie to be made using only aerial footage. It was completely filmed from helicopters flying over more than fifty countries. It focuses on the effect that 200,000 years of human habitation on Earth has affected four billion years of natural evolution.

The director intended it as an urgent call to action and it is available free of charge to anyone who wishes to see it. Asked why OMEGA selected Arthus-Bertrand to create the film about the oceans, OMEGA president Stephen Urquhart said, “No one could do it better. Yann Arthus-Bertrand is both an environmentalist and the world’s leading specialist in aerial photography. He has a unique combination of skills that will allow him to communicate the majesty and the beauty of the oceans cinematically.”

OMEGA announced the partnership at an event on the 19th of May on the Isle of Capri, Italy. The maker of prestigious Swiss watches presented its newly launched collection of Planet Ocean divers’ watches and celebrated the brand’s long association with the exploration of the oceans. Arthus-Bertrand, said of his partnership with OMEGA, “OMEGA and I will work together to create a film which meaningfully reflects the beauty of the oceans and reminds everyone to save these amazing sources of life”.

At the same event, OMEGA announced its partnership with GoodPlanet, an organization founded by Arthus-Bertrand with a global reputation for its unflinching dedication to the promotion of sustainable development.

OMEGA and GoodPlanet are establishing an initiative that will help to raise awareness of the need to protect the oceans by showing their beauty and explaining the challenges humankind and the oceans are facing together. They plan to collaborate on the production of books and materials that will focus not only on the majestic splendour of the oceans but will also educate people about what might be done to preserve them.

OMEGA has long been associated with the planet’s oceans. In 1932, it released the Marine – the world’s first water resistant watch. In the nearly eighty years since, OMEGA has been associated with some of the best-known underwater explorers and oceanographers including Jacques-Yves Cousteau, Charles William Beebe and “Dolphin Man” Jacques Mayol.

When the late Sir Peter Blake, retired from competition as one of the world’s most successful sailors, he committed his energies to the protection of his beloved oceans. His Blakexpeditions were organized under the auspices of the United Nations and OMEGA.

GoodPlanet, was founded in 2005 by Arthus-Bertrand with the aim of raising public awareness of environmental issues and sustainable development. It encourages a way of life that is more respectful of the Earth and its inhabitants. It suggests realistic and optimistic solutions, and encourages each individual to take action for the planet.

OMEGA president Stephen Urquhart said that the partnership is a logical one for his brand, saying, “Our legacy includes not only the very first water-resistant watch but close partnerships with some of the most important names in ocean exploration and ecology. This project with GoodPlanet will give us the chance to remind people of the beauty of the oceans and to let address ways to be better stewards of these amazing natural resources which are critical for our common future.”