Editor’s Pitch

Philosophy is a much maligned endeavour, it’s as if thinking too much about the world around us is a self-indulgent exercise that doesn’t change anything. But our whole world is based upon a set of philosophical ideas that we just take for granted, ones that used to part of every day discussion. I love films that take you into a different mental space, especially when it’s done with wit and affection. There is darkness here, but there is a lot of light, and that’s something to cherish. In Ancient Greece, seals were the most widespread inhabitant of the Mediterranean Sea. Today, human interference has resulted in seals becoming one of the most endangered species in Europe. The documentary fable Peace With Seals is an informative look and darkly entertaining look at the destructive nature of humans, and the domestication and exploitation of one of the planet’s most intelligent creatures.

The film immediately grabs the viewer’s attention with a wonderful dream-like sequence of Czech director Miloslav Novák discovering a travel brochure featuring the almost extinct Mediterranean monk seal. Armed with a camera and his own curiosity, Novák travels to Sardinia in order to search for the elusive and endangered sea creature. What follows is a humorous look at the deeply troubling, changing relations between humans, their environment and animals.

Using a mixture of new, archive and often surreally inspired use of animation, the film veers in many different directions. Along the way we meet a fascinating assortment of characters - Novák, an Italian director, Coppola a monk seal specialist, a Czech biologist, scientists, a philosopher, and a 98-year-old seal hunter.

The film has its share of joyously bizarre moments, namely Coppola in swimwear mimicking a seal flopping on its belly, but also features poignant depictions of the seals' plight over the years.

In exploring how humans have interacted with Mediterranean seals in the past, the documentary places special emphasis on two real-life anecdotes. The first story follows Garson, a seal that became “the most famous animal in the world” after being carried out of zoo captivity by floods, then swimming all the way from Prague to Germany in 2002. At the height of his popularity, the Garson was adopted by former Czech Prime Minister Gross, and the Prague Zoo erected a statue in Garson’s memory after his death.

But why elevate this particular animal to such cult status when seals are currently an endangered species in Europe? The filmmakers suggest that we may be approaching a time when it will be impossible to see many animals in their natural habitat.

The second story recounts the 1951 tale of a baby seal named Ulysses, caught by Milanese journalist Federico Patellani. We see footage of the animal being ceremoniously tossed into the Di Trevi Fountain in front of overexcited onlookers (the fate of the seal allegedly inspired Federico Fellini’s famous scene in La Dolce Vita). The sight of the frightened animal is sombre and heartrending, and Novak imagines the seal flapping in concrete while photographers burst flashes in its face and an assembled crowd roars its approval. Novák uses this image to highlight his belief that the current strained relationship between humans and animals is a result of this continued exploitation.

Innovative, educational and thought-provoking, Peace With Seals manages with impressive style and panache to transcend the initial quest to get to the heart of the matter: our relationship with animals, with nature as a whole, and finally with ourselves.