An authentic story from the front line of wildlife protection
We welcomed a Czech documentary team to Costa Rica, where they came to film the pilot episode of the new series Planet Silence.
This project tells the stories of five Czechs who have chosen to live abroad in different corners of the world — people who are rarely talked about and who often remain on the margins of public attention. Planet Silence explores the question of what price we pay for protecting nature, providing humanitarian aid, educating people, or supporting communities on the edge of society. One of the first of these stories, the filmmakers decided to tell with us — with Justice for Nature and our team working on the front line of wildlife protection in Costa Rica.
Planet Silence.
Documentary
miniseries
The stories of five Czechs who chose a life abroad in various corners of the globe — people rarely spoken of and who often remain on the fringes of public attention. Planet Silence raises questions about the price one pays for nature conservation, providing humanitarian aid, education, or supporting marginalized communities.
Director and producer David Van, together with cinematographer and producer Jaromír Motyčka, spent three intense weeks with our team directly in the field. There were no staged scenes and no pre-arranged situations. They were with us during real anti-poaching operations on land and at sea, on night patrols with rangers, and on board The Spartan. They captured reality exactly as it is — raw, unpredictable, and often extremely demanding.
The conditions certainly did not make their work any easier. What initially seemed to be an ideal period for filming was marked by strong winds, rapidly changing weather, and difficult conditions on the ocean. This affected not only our work, but the filming itself as well. That is why we appreciate even more their professionalism, alertness, and respect for work in the field. They managed to be exactly where the most important moments were happening, while never getting in the way or putting the operation or our work at risk.
In order to achieve high-quality sound, we spent much of the filming period wearing microphones and being under constant observation by the cameras, so that a true and authentic story of wildlife protection could be created. Over time, the filmmakers became a natural part of the team, were accepted by the rangers, and found themselves in situations that were challenging even for experienced field patrol members. It is precisely this authenticity that gives the upcoming documentary its exceptional strength.
The only pre-arranged moment was the final interview with me and Zuzana Koloušková at our ocean center Blue Life in Cuajiniquil, Costa Rica. Other members of the filming mission included Honza Suchý, Denisa Adamírová, Viktor Coufal, and Petra Schiffnerova.
When the film team left, they did not leave behind only recorded material, but also a strong feeling that, for a time, they had become part of our everyday fight to protect wildlife. And perhaps it is exactly the difficult conditions in which this story was created that will give the final documentary its greatest authenticity.
We believe that when Planet Silence reaches the screen, it will offer viewers a new perspective not only on Costa Rica, but also on what it truly means to protect wildlife on the front line. We truly believe audiences have something special to look forward to.
