"The power of the image plays a mission statement important role in nature conservation," says a National Geographic producer

"The power of the image plays an important mission statement in nature conservation," says a National Geographic producer. PHOTO: Manuel Castells

"The power of the image plays a very important role in the conservation of nature," said Sandesh Kadur, producer of documentaries for National Geographic, during a mission statement . This was stated by Sandesh Kadur, producer of documentaries for National Geographic, during a colloquium organized by Telenatura, the international festival for nature conservation of the University of Navarra.

The co-producer of National Geographic's 'Secrets of the Queen Cobra' said that "these visual messages, such as nature videos, help the public to realize how vulnerable our planet is and how important it is to take care of the environment". In this sense, he asserted that "the power of an image is irreplaceable, although supporting it with a good explanation is fundamental".

Sandesh Kadur, who has been filming and photographing the environment for more than 15 years, assures that his vocation began at a very young age: "When I was 11 or 12 years old, I heard a phrase by the Senegalese poet Baba Dioum in a documentary that said: 'In the end, we will preserve only what we love, we will love only what we understand and we will understand only what we are taught'. At that moment I knew that my mission statement was to show the world what nature offers us so that we could learn to take care of it".

121 films from 25 countries

Regarding the dissemination of documentaries, the expert pointed out that new platforms are helping to make these works known. "Through channels such as YouTube we can reach many more people than we imagined years ago. Also digital television and specialized channels allow us to address with less difficulty to a really interested audience," he stressed. In this sense, he added that "the initiatives of knowledge dissemination such as Telenatura help to convey the message of environmental awareness".

This year's Telenatura festival has brought together 121 films from 25 countries. The competition, organized by the School of Communication, is held in the academic center and in the Planetarium of Pamplona, where some of the finalist films will be screened. Of the works presented, 32 have been selected: 15 in documentary category, 3 in reportage; 10 in amateur production; and 4 in NGO. The submission awards ceremony will take place today, Friday, October 30, at the Planetarium, at 19.30 h.

Report on 98.3 Radio