Alien sightings filmed Down Under.
Sydney, April 1999
Aliens, some with three hearts and ability to change their colour and texture at whim, have been captured on film in a remarkable musical documentary to be screened at the 1999 New York International Film Festival.
Alien hunter, Pawel Achtel, spent two years filming the exotic and rare Aliens of the Sea at ocean reefs around Australia, using special lighting and camera techniques to illuminate their unique beauty.
"Outer space is often referred to as the last frontier," Mr. Achtel said, "but there are creatures in our own backyard that are just as weird and wonderful as any imagined alien from outer space."
Mr. Achtel cites the Great Australian Cuttlefish as an example. Few people realise that the cuttlefish has three hearts, all of them pumping blue blood, and the ability to change its colour, even the texture of its skin. It's also little known that, apart from their other senses, sharks can detect and respond to minute electrical signals. This is a sense that humans simply do not have.
"If we encountered these attributes in aliens from outer space, we'd be awestruck," said Mr. Achtel. "I think it's even more amazing that they live on this planet with us, and that we're actually able to get them on film."
Aliens of the Sea, which runs for 50 minutes, features outstanding footage of a cross-section of marine life, with shots of some rare species and many found in Australian waters. Some of the species filmed include: Australian Sea Lion, Manta Rays, Sea Dragons, Blue Groupers, Old Wives, the Giant Australian Cuttlefish, living corals, anemone fish, and sharks.
Unlike most underwater films, all of these remarkable species were filmed in their natural habitat. No tank shots were accepted. The documentary was shot during more than hundred dives over a two-year period at locations around Australian coastline, from the Great Barrier Reef in the north Queensland, to Exmouth in Western Australia, and back to Sydney Harbour.
Other footage was shot on trips to Kangaroo Island, the Coral Sea, Merimbula and Jarvis Bay - both south of Sydney, Lady Elliot Island, Forster/Seal Rocks on the New South Wales mid-north coast and Sydney coastline. The world-renowned photographic diving expert, Kevin Deacon, provided valuable advice and assistance to Mr. Achtel.
Another special feature of the documentary is the 'foreground' soundtrack, specially composed by Gordon Reid. Its rich melodies help to make Aliens of the Sea not just an introduction to some of the planet's most fascinating creatures, but a sensory assault.
The world premiere of Aliens of the Sea will be in New York at:
Le Bar Bat (311 W. 57th St.) on May 6, 1999 at 7:00 p.m.
For further information please contact: Pawel Achtel