Sharks are my film stars': how the Jacques Cousteau of the North Sea finally unlocked its beauty - AOL

A new documentary, North Sea, Nature Untamed, aims to show why the North Sea—often seen as grey and lifeless—still hosts an ecosystem packed with marine life. Dutch cinematographer Peter van Rodijnen and director Mark Verkerk spent years building the project, starting from the idea that “if somebody can make a movie about the North Sea, it’s got to be us.” The film highlights species such as starfish, lobsters, brittle stars, kelp forests, seals and basking sharks, and points to plankton blooms as a foundation of the food chain. Filming took seven years and faced major setbacks: four out of five planned dives were canceled due to rough seas and poor visibility, forcing repeated attempts to capture dolphins, bluefin tuna and sharks.