User reviews

Thoroughly enjoyed watching Great White Shark Legend (www.greatwhitesharklegend.com) a documentary filmed in South Africa by husband & wife team that finally shows the great white sharks from a different perspective than being man eating predators that Hollywood would have us believe. The footage is absolutely stunning and shows how those that work live and work alongside them have a respect and fondness for the sharks and explain how each shark like a human has its own personality.

I loved the stories of sharks encounters from the people interviewed, in particular the diver who saw a large female shark swimming toward him during a safety stop which instead of attacking as most would expect just investigated and went on her way. In addition the the children interviewed give hope that that attitudes of the next generation will change towards these awesome creatures so that they won't be hunted and killed out of ignorance from some misguided perception.

So everybody knows all about Great White sharks, don't they? You always watch Shark Week, and you love the way the shark attacks the shark cage for no reason, because they really are mindless killing machines that want to eat you. It's the stuff of nightmares, and we do love our monsters, right?

So how come in husband and wife team Ricardo and Rachel Lacombe's documentary feature none of the above happens? How come the people who appear in this film speak so fondly of these "monsters of the deep" and show genuine concern for their well being? The easy answer is that this is the reality. This isn't the deliberate over dramatised, sensational, demonisation of a species so exploited by TV networks the world over. What you get here instead is a message. People and shark living side by side without fear, prejudice or malice, that breathes fresh air into a genre that has sadly drifted away from educational content in favour of so called entertainment and thrills.

Great White Shark Legend is a story about sharks, people and an amazing place where they enjoy a coexistence that is seldom seen. We journey to Simon's Town on the cape peninsula of South Africa where we find African Shark Eco Charters, the cage diving company set up by Rob Lawrence who began viewing these amazing animals himself over 20 years ago all from the safety of a small inflatable craft. Rob recalls these early encounters with vivid detail as we get to know the man behind the legendary tales. The relaxed style of the interviews makes this an intimate personal film, without bias or angle other than the truth about sharks. The cinematography is quite stunning. False Bay has to be one of the most beautiful places on earth, with some of the most amazing sunrises, all captured here in vibrant colour, made even more amazing by the breaching sharks that are framed by such incredible natural beauty time and again. If you are unfamiliar with the term "breaching shark", it means leaping free from the water in a natural hunting technique that has been honed for millions of years. The prey of the sharks are the several thousand Cape Fur Seals that call Seal Island home. During the winter months the young seals take to the water for the first time and come face to face with the seasonal visiting sharks, and the battle of wits begins again, honing and fine tuning the evolution of both species, prey and hunter in one of natures most spectacular natural interactions.

As well as the amazing footage of sharks, we learn about shark awareness and water safety from the Shark Spotters programme, set up to educate and promote being "shark smart", understanding that the ocean and its inhabitants must be respected if we are to share that environment, and that it's crucial to the future of sharks and the way we look at using the sea. Education and awareness is also evident in the interviews with local children of the post JAWS generation, who display a grasp of knowledge and conservation well beyond their years. Many adults would do well to pay attention to the attitudes of these young shark ambassadors. It's very encouraging to see such maturity and reason on display and should give hope to conservationists that the future of our sharks and oceans will be in safe hands, providing WE pay attention and listen to them now.

Hopefully this movie will kickstart a change of how sharks are portrayed on film, and show that you can entertain people and educate them at the same time. To be honest it's long overdue, and thank goodness someone has made a very credible attempt to be different and go against the flow of tired predictable documentaries churned out on autopilot in recent years.

Well done Ricardo and Rachel, you have delivered, and delivered well. I hope that this film will be seen as the benchmark for future productions to be measured by. This is the film that needs to be seen by all, not just shark huggers like me. We all deserve this film, and perhaps more to the point, the sharks do too.

Ricardo Lacombe really made a worthwhile film here that shows clear appreciation for the sharks rather than the typical vilification. No fierce shots of sharks biting baits or attacking surfboards; just real pseudo-natural interactions. While some of the water shots are too short and some of the interviews a tiny bit too long, its clear that there is reality presented rather than a bunch of ridiculous sensationalism.

When you see the individuals interviewed in this program, it is immediately apparent their appreciation and love for these white sharks. Rob Lawrence even states how he had to hide his admiration just to get the opportunity to have thrilling and amiable interactions with the white sharks of South Africa.

What really hit home were two special parts of this program. The interviews with the children that show immeasurably more rational feelings than with the average adult. Children love the sharks and its obvious to see the that these children have much more mature opinions that their adult counterparts. Its happy for a marine biologist like myself to see some kids really like the sharks or at the very least...looking at sharks like a something to be mindful of, but not feared (which - for once - is shown as the truth rather than the monsters of legend).

Lastly, I really loved the discussion about shark personalities. There has not been such a comprehensive examination on film that portrays sharks in this light. If we were to look at humans as a species and not a conglomeration of individuals, we could make the same superficial, but glaring critiques we make for sharks (if not worse). Yet, here we see how sharks not only have particular behaviors, but those behaviors change from one interaction to another. It was so refreshing to see this accurately portrayed and not just "sharks kill people" kind of attitude.

Discovery Channel TAKE NOTE!!! You're silly monotonous fabrications are no longer a standard. Nearly all of your Shark Week specials this year were abysmal in their accuracy and true portrayal. This film should be your guide for the future. You don't need to "Make sharks exciting", because they are exciting all on their own. You show footage of sharks and the people will come. Start taking notes and making films like these without the asinine dramatics or mock-u-mentaries. Its time to grow up and portray sharks as they should be portrayed. In truth, rather than fictitious irrationality.

I want to personally thank Ricardo and his wife (Rachel) for allowing me to preview this film. I stand amazed at their accomplishment. Its truly a labor of love and if this film were literature, I would liken it to the works of Shakespeare. Maybe not Hamlet, per se, but definitely on par with "Much Ado About Nothing"; which is fitting because that title fits how we, as humans and media, treat sharks.

Bravo and I greatly expect an encore film in the future. Hats off for this effort.