SILENT LANDSCAPES

Year Published: 1947

Format: 16mm

Description: Made in 1947, SILENT LANDSCAPES / PAYSAGES DU SILENCE is one of the earliest films made by Jacques Cousteau. The film was shot at a depth of up to 60 meters depth in the Mediterranean sea. This version is entirely silent, but the theatrical release version has an accompanying soundtrack.The plot of the film is simple enough as a team of divers explores undersea animal and plant life and revels in the majesty of the underwater world. Cousteau had made his first underwater short "18 Meters Deep" in 1943, using a waterproof camera and no breathing apparatus. During the war, Cousteau developed the aqua-lung, the precursor to scuba gear, and established the first version of the Underwater Research Group that would eventually make him famous worldwide. In 1946 he released a film entitled "Shipwrecks" and followed it with "Silent Landscapes" the following year. He released a series of films in 1949 including "Seals of Rio d’Oro," "Dolphins and Cretaceous," "Off the Coast of Tunesiennes," and "Around a Reef." In 1950 he modified a former minesweeper as the Calypso, and began making films in deadly earnest.

Complete Record: