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WildFilmHistory » Home » Films » They Said It Couldn't Be Done: Kingdom of the Ice Bear: The Frozen Ocean

They Said It Couldn't Be Done: Kingdom of the Ice Bear: The Frozen Ocean  (1999)

Martin Saunders filming polar bears for Kingdom of the Ice Bear

The second of seven programmes celebrating pioneering natural history documentaries, They Said It Couldn't Be Done: Kingdom Of The Ice Bear: The Frozen Ocean explores the challenges of filming this groundbreaking series in the hostile Arctic environment.

In front of an audience at the Royal Geographical Society, award-winning producer Mike Salisbury chats openly to David Attenborough about the difficulties encountered by both him and his companion, cameraman Hugh Miles, as they set up camp in their testing frozen medium.

An enlightening glimpse into life in one of the Earth's last great wildernesses, Mike set out to record aspects of the polar bear's life never captured on film before. Offering an insight into the challenges they faced, Mike provides a frank and entertaining account of their attempts to film young cubs emerging from their snow dens for the first time.

Winning a Wildscreen Award for camerawork in 1986, Kingdom of the Ice Bear: The Frozen Ocean received international acclaim for its intimate portrayal of life in a land of relentless ice and intense cold. Followed by a repeat screening of the film, They Said It Couldn't Be Done: Kingdom Of The Ice Bear: The Frozen Ocean offers an intriguing glimpse into the trials and tribulations involved in wildlife cinematography.

Copyright holder

Copyright Holder: BBC - Natural History Unit
Address: c/o BBC Motion Gallery
Room E251
Woodlands
80 Wood Lane
London
W12 0TT
Telephone: +44 (0) 20 8433 2861 / 2
Email: motiongallery.uk@bbc.co.uk
Website: http://www.bbcmotiongallery.com

Film credits

Interviewee: Mike Salisbury
Producer: Mike Salisbury
Writer: Mike Salisbury
Presenter: David Attenborough
Series Editor: Peter Jones
Producer: Hugh Miles
Photography: Hugh Miles
Additional Photography: Martin Saunders
Dubbing Mixer: Peter Copeland
Narrator: Hywel Bennett
Dubbing Editor: Ian Butcher
Production Assistant: Judy Copeland
Film Editor: Martin Elsbury
Additional Photography: William Hansen
Additional Photography: Norman Lightfoot
Additional Photography: Ric Mason
Music Composer: Terry Oldfield
Additional Photography: Mike Richards
Producer: Martyn Suker
Assistant Producer: Holly Spearing
Additional Photography: Bill Bacon
Graphic Design: Paul Johnson
Associated Broadcaster: WNET 13, New York

Related films

Kingdom of the Ice Bear: The Frozen Ocean (1985)
They Said It Couldn't Be Done: In-Flight Movie (1999)
They Said It Couldn't Be Done: Mzima: Portrait of a Spring  (1999)
They Said It Couldn't Be Done: Too Close For Comfort  (1999)
Clips
The most dangerous mammal
The most dangerous mammal
Shouting at polar bears
Shouting at polar bears
Filming the famous polar bear emergence sequence
Filming the famous polar bear emergence ...
Stills
Martin Saunders filming polar bears for Kingdom of the Ice Bear
Martin Saunders filming polar bears for Kingdom...
Martha Holmes and Martin Saunders in hut used by film crew while making Kingdom of the Ice Bear
Martha Holmes and Martin Saunders in hut...
Hugh Miles waiting to film polar bear cubs for Kingdom of the Ice Bear
Hugh Miles waiting to film polar bear cubs...
Martin Saunders filming for Kingdom of the Ice Bear
Martin Saunders filming for Kingdom of the...