Cepa Giblin of Crossing the Line Productions introduces A Note for Nature, a remarkable confluence of nature documentary, music and spoken word performance receiving its TV premiere on RTÉ on St. Stephen's Day.
A Note for Nature is both a celebration of wild Ireland and a call to arms. Over an hour, we meet some remarkable people dedicating their lives to protect Ireland's disappearing nature. And through music from the RTÉ Concert Orchestra and stunning performances in a variety of locations from stellar musicians, we feature some of Ireland’s most fragile wild places and the beleaguered animals that, somehow, manage to survive there. Christy Moore, Clare Sands & Susan O’Neill, Alannah Thornburgh, Niamh Regan, Maria Doyle Kennedy, Iarla Ó Lionáird, This is How We Fly and Tolü Makay perform powerful pieces that connect with the wonders of Ireland’s wild world.
But our planet is in trouble and in this film, a host of our leading conservationists including Jane Stout, Pádraic Fogarty and Seán Ronayne reveal that Ireland is one of the most nature depleted countries in the world and propose what we can do about it. Organic farmer Sinéad Moran and nature writers Easkey Britton and Dara McAnulty give their unique insights into a very uncertain future. From the eerie silence of summer skies bereft of insects and bird life, to the boundless potential of rewilding, from the profound impacts of industrial farming to the new wave of individuals going against the grain, this film explores the highs and lows of nature in Ireland.
A Note for Nature is an ambitious attempt to broaden the audience of the natural history genre in the hope of bringing urgent attention to collapsing biodiversity and associated climate breakdown. Filmmaker Cepa Giblin had previously worked with the RTÉ Concert Orchestra on a short wildlife film for a live event for Culture Night 2019. It was through this collaboration that all parties recognised the power of bringing music, the orchestra and images of the natural world together.
Filming for the project took place over the course of two years, and as with many recent productions, it suffered many Covid delays. Performances and conservationists were filmed throughout 2022 in locations that reflect some of Ireland’s most vulnerable landscapes, such as our peatlands and precious remnants of ancient woodlands. The natural history content is a combination of newly shot material and archive. For over 20 years, Crossing the Line films have specialised in natural history film making and for this project we utilised our extensive back catalogue of archive, much of which had never been broadcast.
In this time of climate breakdown and collapse of the natural environment, we're committed to informing viewers in a compelling and alternative way of the challenges they face in a changing and uncertain future.
A Note for Nature, RTÉ One, Monday 26th December - catch up afterwards via RTÉ Player.
