Kay Ziesenhenne

White Winter

In southern Germany, winter can still be admired in all its glory every year. With its white coat of snow and icicles and myriads of small crystals that look like geometric works of art. In the valleys and on the slopes the snow is still so thick every year that the alpine huts are snowed in up to the windows. Cows and dairymen are safe in their farms at lower altitudes. But not the wild creatures of the mountains! They need strategies to survive the cold season and to defy snow masses, cold and ice. And some seem to do it so easily that they even raise their young in the middle of winter. But how do animals, plants and fungi cope with the annually recurring ice age, which from our perspective is a time of need? The many adaptations in nature prove that winter is an integral part of the natural cycle of the year and the living environment of species. They are adapted to cold and frost. That is why the animals and plants at the edge of the Alps suffer particularly from climate change!

Echoes of the Ice Age

In the Southeastern-most part of Germany, rises Mount Watzmann. This mighty peak is a stone guardian of a remarkable wild region that holds tight to its secret nature. There are more secrets to reveal where the mountains disappear into the depths of Lake Königssee, a lake that holds a stark resemblance to a fjord at the coasts of the Atlantic ocean. Underwater, fossil marine creatures in limestone rock tell of an ancient seabed, buried deep then heaved skywards by battling tectonic plates. Deep grooves and gouges in the rock were left by an ice age glacier, more than one kilometer thick as it chiseled its way down the valley. Though the ice age ended 12,000 years ago, the mountains still carry echoes of that frozen past. "Echoes of the Ice Age" is a portrait of the wildlife in this breathtaking scenery of the Berchtesgaden Alps.

Homeland Nature

Home is where we grow up or settle permanently. And this home is always shaped by nature. Today, we human beings change and shape this more than any law of nature. HEIMAT NATUR is a visually stunning journey through the nature of our homeland, from the peaks of the Alps to the coasts and the depths of the North and Baltic Seas. In between is a cinematic foray through steaming forests, shimmering moors, over rose-blossoming heaths and the colorful cultural landscape around our villages and towns. In extraordinary images this nature is shown from its most beautiful side, examining the state of the native habitats. Slow-motion and time-lapse photography as well as intimate shots of familiar and unfamiliar species, some filmed for the first time, making the film a cinematic nature experience for the whole family.

NORWAY´S MAGICAL FJORDS

The Norwegian fjords are among the most impressive landscapes in Europe. In the deep, cold waters lies a surprisingly rich underwater world: from vast coral reefs full of luminous sea creatures to herring orcas and humpback whales. The prize-winning nature filmmaker Jan Haft reveals the special and enchanting richness hidden in the dark water. In the deep fjords, animals and plants survive in a fascinating society that is being portrayed for the first time. Fjord is an intimate portrait of a unique wilderness.

Magical Iceland: Living on the World's Largest Volcanic Island

In Iceland, volcanoes line up like pearls on a string. In the mountains and valleys the ground boils. It smokes, hisses and bubbles. Although rising from the sea as a bare lava island, life thrives on Iceland's volcanic slopes. Whether in icy heights or abysmal crevasses that tell of the fact that the earth is tearing apart here, between the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates - Iceland is a natural paradise. Magical Iceland: Living on the World's Largest Volcanic Island is a testament to the island's unexpected biodiversity and spectacular landscapes, both above and below the water.

One in a Thousand

Intact ecosystems provide the best defense against climate change! The ecosystem of a small creek is complex and diverse – the shocking reality is that in Central Europe only one in a thousand is still intact, today. What happened to our streams and brooks? What does the future hold? The film ‘One in a Thousand’ portrays the diverse wildlife inside and alongside a stream, explains the importance of this habitat and identifies the sources of its destruction. A blue-chip wildlife film that carries an important message.

Die Nordsee - Unser Meer

The North Sea, the largest sea on our doorstep, has many faces: wide tidal environments, high dunes, flat holms and rugged coastlines. Its beaches attract every season not only tourists but also countless seals. And beneath the cool sea surface hides a varied and fascinating underwater world: whether majestic basking before the chalk cliffs of Dover or combative gray seals on the beach of Helgoland, whether mighty squid on the Dutch Oosterschelde, or creepy Greenland shark in the Fjords of Norway.

The Green Planet

It covers thirty percent of the Earth's land mass and yet, most of us barely scratch the surface. Now, discover what few people have seen, as The Green Planet follows the stories of forest inhabitants, from graceful red deer to cunning foxes and impressive wild boar. With cutting edge technology, we also explore some of the more bizarre and wonderful forest dwellers: the purple emperor, liverworts, stag beetles and corydalis. See flowers bloom and blades of grass cut through the snow. Spend time in a foxes den with her new born cubs and follow tiny insects and creatures with microscopic detail. Be a part of a journey that takes you through the seasons and be prepared to be amazed by the natural wonder of creation, destruction and rebirth in this incomparable landscape.