Becoming Cousteau: Legendary Explorer and Environmentalist

The National Geographic documentary Becoming Cousteau explores the life of legendary ocean explorer Jacques Cousteau, a man well ahead of his time in bringing climate change and environmental devastation to the world’s attention. 

Mridu Chandra, award-winning filmmaker and one of the producers of Becoming Cousteau, joins us to discuss Cousteau's remarkable life and passion for the environment. A scuba diving pioneer, Cousteau also was an accomplished filmmaker and three-time Oscar winner.  

Mridu talks about the challenges that she and director Liz Garbus faced in making a film using only archival footage, and how Garbus was keen to bring Cousteau's story to life. 

“Throughout his life, he was always ahead, and when it came to his environmentalism, it stemmed from his genuine passion, being an honest witness and decades of experience.” - Mridu Chandra

Time Stamps:
00:00 - The trailer for Becoming Cousteau.
04:10 - What the film is about.
05:01 - Who Jacques Cousteau was and the effect he had on the world of scuba diving.
07:41 - Cousteau’s love for filmmaking. 
09:25 - The challenges involved when working on an archival film.
11:49 - How the idea for the film came about.
13:21 - A clip from the film showing how Jacques Cousteau revolutionised diving.
17:04 - How he changed over time while staying true to his moral compass.
21:11 - The work he did to spread awareness of environmental destruction.
24:26 - How he pushed the limits in everything he was involved in.
27:12 - A clip from the film showing Cousteau’s love for his mother. Resources:
Becoming Cousteau (2021)
The Silent World (1956)
MovieMaker Magazine
Innersound Audio
Alamo Pictures

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