Earth

Five billion years ago an asteroid hit the earth, knocking it 23.5° off its axis, resulting in various different areas, extremes of cold and warmth, and the seasons. Seasonal alternation is the theme of this one-year journey from the Artic Circle, warmed by the first rays of spring, to the Equator's permanent summer, across the African deserts, to the Antarctic, following a polar bear, an elephant and a whale. The screen images testify to life's beauty, and to the fragility of its ecosystems. Five years in production, over 200 shooting locations in 26 countries, 40 specialist troops, 250 days of aerial film shooting: never before in the history of cinema has so much time or resources been invested in making a documentary. The film comprises a condensed version of 11 parts of a TV series broadcast by the BBC.