115. The destruction of miracles
I.
Detailed world maps use colour gradients to show where the highest mountains are, where snow lies and where the forest edges end. Thanks to satellites, almost every square metre has been mapped. On land, that is. āThe remaining 70 per cent of our planet is usually shown as a solid blue,ā write David Attenborough and Colin Butfield in their book Ocean, which was published to coincide with the new documentary of the same name by the 99-year-old Attenborough.
Looking back on his long life, the British biologist talks about the changes in the ocean he has witnessed. It is only in the last few years that we have begun to understand what is happening in the deep waters, he says. And in truth, there is still much we do not know about the oceans. According to him, this must change, because only āwhen you really know the sea well will you never look at the Earth in the same way againā.
In the film, we first see stunning underwater footage, whilst Attenborough explains what the oceans mean to us. They play a vital role in regulating the planetās climate, as they absorb vast quantities of COā. But because we are emitting more and more, the ocean has to work harder. And as a result, the water is acidifying, causing coral reefs, for example, to weaken and break.
Do make sure to watch the film (or read the book) if you want to understand just how delicately balanced ocean life is. It is marvellous to see how every animal plays a part. Not just the tiniest plankton, but also the great sharks and the long strands of kelp.
Just as Attenborough has captivated you, he switches to the trawlers. These are large fishing boats that drag gigantic nets across the seabed to catch fish. Somehow, the filmmakers have attached cameras to the nets of these vessels, allowing you to witness the underwater disaster from the front row. These are images you have never seen before. Nothing remains of the colourful coral reefs and the fish that live there. You see how the reef is torn apart and how fish are endlessly dragged along by the nets.
Itās all presented without embellishment and is particularly effective, because a week after seeing the film Iām still angry. You canāt exactly call the trawlers efficient either. The filmmakers say that the nets are designed to catch specific fish; the rest (the vast majority) are unceremoniously dumped back into the sea, lifeless, as by-catch.
Attenborough remains hopeful in his old age, so you donāt leave the cinema feeling entirely disheartened. The biologist knows just how quickly the oceans can come back to life ā provided we leave them sufficiently alone. According to the makers of Ocean, a mere 3 per cent of the oceans are currently protected, but there are promises from the United Nations to raise that figure to 30 per cent by 2030. Better late than never. It is Attenboroughās āgreatest wishā, though he may not live to see it himself.
- - -II.
I used to devour the Asterix comic books, and Iāve been lugging a stack of them from one home to the next my whole life. Itās the sort of series that, along with other classics like Suske en Wiske, Donald Duck, Tintin and Guust, has fuelled my love for comic books.
Iāve seen a number of the film adaptations, but none were as enjoyable as the new animated series Asterix & Obelix: The Battle of the Chiefs. Based on the comic book of the same name, which was sold as De kampioen until 2005. Now the story has been adapted into a five-part miniseries on Netflix (it could easily be a character from Asterix). The series even shows how Obelix fell into the cauldron of magic potion as a child. Now, I donāt always need such origin stories, because they can ruin the magic of a myth (Iām looking at you, Solo: A Star Wars Story), but in this case itās done in an entertaining way.
Series creator Alain Chabat (also the voice of Asterix) takes the classic story and makes it his own, with witty references to other series, films, music and pop culture celebrities. You canāt convince me this isnāt a nod to Twin Peaksis. The story features characters with names like Potus, Fastenfurius and Mileycirus. And thereās a Roman who gets confused when he reads the name Obelix in writing. āHow do you pronounce this? Obeli-ten? Or Obel-nine?ā
This leaves me wanting more! Time to dig out those books again.
- - -PS.
This is a delightfully envy-inducing story about a bird in the film Charlieās Angels. The birdās name is wrong, the creature doesnāt live anywhere near where the film says it does, and in fact it doesnāt correspond to reality in any way. Birdwatchers have been watching this with utter amazement for decades. How can you portray a bird so badly on the silver screen? This investigation goes deeper than you might think and gets better and better the further you read. If only I could devote that much time to one of my obsessions for a whole year.
Iād missed the fact that a biography has been published about the cartoonist Robert Crumb. The book, Crumb: A Cartoonistās Life, was written by Dan Nadel. Both the writer and the cartoonist appeared in New York for a witty and incisive conversation.
Jamie Thingelstad writes about (the purpose and meaning of) blogging. āWho is your audience? Who is this for? You. Yourself. Your family. Your friends. Your friendsā friends. Your neighbourhood. And they can have it whenever they want. As a gift. A gift from you to them. Not a gift to be measured in engagement, but instead as a body of work. A gift to the web, which is a gift to people.ā
Photographer SebastiĆ£o Salgado has died at the age of 81. A few years ago, I came across his series Gold, featuring photographs he took in 1986 in a Brazilian gold mine. In stark black and white, you see hundreds of people toiling like a colony of ants. I find it a biblical work; those ants might just as well be building a Tower of Babel in the photographs. Salgado was deeply committed to themes such as poverty, migration and climate change. A documentary was made about his life: Salt of the Earth, which is also highly recommended. On (among others) The Guardian features an overview of Salgadoās work. That photo of the oil fields in Kuwait alone. Unparalleled.
Iāve been listening to Meetsysteemās new album a lot this week: Gekleed In Donker, Ze Vroegen Niks. Iām particularly fond of the track De Nachtbus van Zoran. āIt was in 2021, still halfway through the pandemic, and someone had the idea of going to Groningen with a whole group from Amsterdam,ā singer Ricky Cherim tells 3voor12. āWe were on a bus full of people who didnāt know each other at all, and along the way little groups of people started forming and telling each other stories. On the way back, it had naturally turned into a sort of dream world that I didnāt want to leave. For me, nightlife is still the best place to meet people and enjoy great music. For a long time, this was the last track on the album. Until I suddenly thought: it has to be the beginning, straight onto the bus.ā
- - -Youāve just read weekly blog No. 115, written between 12 and 18 May 2025. Subscribe to my free newsletter to receive this blog in your inbox every Sunday.