“When one man, for whatever reason, has the opportunity to lead an extraordinary life, he has no right to keep it to himself.” — Jacques-Yves Cousteau
Divers owe much to the late Jacques Cousteau, not only for his research and Oscar-winning documentaries, but also for his help in developing diving-related gear that made our favorite sport safe and easily accessible to everyone. Now a new Cousteau film coming out in October will help keep the famous diving family in the forefront.
Keeping the Story Alive
The new film, The Odyssey, offers some insight into the personal story of the Cousteau family. Topics include their travels, inter-family conflicts, and love of adventure and the ocean. Written and directed by Jerome Salle, The Odyssey follows Cousteau and his family from France to the Antarctic, both above and below the water. The book Capitaine de La Calypso by Albert Falco and Cousteau’s son, Jean-Michel Cousteau, is the basis for the biopic. The film was shot in Croatia, South Africa, Bahamas, and the Antarctic. Stars include Lambert Wilson, Audrey Tautou, and Pierre Niney as Jacques, Simone, and Philippe respectively.
In his lifetime, Jacques Cousteau participated in filming 120 documentaries. These offered viewers a glimpse into an undersea world never before imagined. This helped create a new generation of ocean lovers, explorers, and researchers. He also wrote over 50 books and started an environmental organization, The Cousteau Society, that once had over 300,000 members. Much of what we know of the ocean today started with and is due to Cousteau’s work and his passion. While some of his beliefs and actions generated controversy, both then and now, there is little doubt the overall positive effect the man had on diving, underwater filming and oceanographic research.
L’ODYSSEE / TEASER from Jérôme Salle on Vimeo.
