4th September 2013 Bucharest, Romania
Guest blogger Charley Ottley, writer and presenter of ‘Wild Carpathia’
I am thrilled to have Charlie Ottley as a guest blogger to share his thoughts on filming “Wild Carpathia” and on discovering the fragile beauty of Romanian landscape. Before its European premiere tomorrow, here’s a glimpse at the second episode “From the Mountains to the Sea”.
While Wild Carpathia 2 is screening in Romania and across the world this week I will be holed up in an edit suite in Spain editing episode 3. When my co-producer and cameraman Alasdair Grant and I first started this series 3 years ago, with the help of Paul Lister and The European Nature Trust, it was only supposed to be a one-off. To be honest we weren’t really sure how it would be received because while there are lots of food and travel shows, there are no real environmental travel programmes. We were creating a new genre. That now feels like a lifetime ago and Wild Carpathia, largely thanks to the kind participation of His Royal Highness Prince Charles, has since become an international phenomenon and the most watched programme Travel Channel has screened in its 26 years of broadcasting.
What we set out to do was showcase the beauty of the Carpathians, the forests, mountains and wildlife and on the way point out some of the issues facing this region: Firstly the frenzy of illegal logging and clear felling that is rendering whole mountainsides barren. Secondly the dereliction or reckless development of stunning medieval landscapes that, if left unchecked will prevent tourism becoming one of Romania’s biggest sources of revenue.
The impact of the programme was far greater than we could have ever envisaged. And it rapidly became clear that there was more to do. There were other landscapes under threat and other stunning areas that needed to be shown to the world. So for the second episode we chose to focus on Baile Herculane, a geo-thermal spa-resort town that was once the grandest in Europe, and could with the right investment become so again. We also decided to feature the Danube Delta, Europe’s largest wetland and a preternaturally beautiful maze of reeds, lakes, marshes, waterways, wildlife and rare birds. To connect this with the Wild Carpathia concept we used the waterways and river systems that start high in the mountains and flow down into the Danube.
The film took a huge amount of time editing and re-editing to capture the right balance between a serious environmental message and a portrait aimed at inspiring people to visit these beautiful and fragile landscapes, as well as to emotionally invest in their continued wellbeing. You can now see whether we have succeeded or not, as the film starts to air this week. I anticipate there will be a mixed response. Some people will claim (and already have) that we focus too much on negative issues, as once more we touch on deforestation and insensitive development. But you cannot, in my view make an honest film about a country you love, without being upset by those who are, for their own selfish ends busily ruining it. And the only way we are going to be able to tackle these problems is if people are aware of them.
Romania is a wonderful and fascinating country. Its people are warm, friendly, hardworking and proud. But the exploitation of their natural resources by large, western companies that provide financial incentives to ruin pastoral landscapes with intensive farming and virgin wilderness by rabid deforestation, has got to stop. The greatest commodity Romania has is not the wood – It is the forest. It’s not the ability to modernise, but the ability and willingness to preserve its rural heritage that will sustain and generate the most income for the future.
Great work, Charlie. The world needs to know about what is happening to wild Carpathia, so that it can be protected for future generations. Also to show a way of living that enables co-existence with wildlife and protection of ecosystems. It is a very sustainable way of life, doubtless with a very healthy population. This is Europe’s Yellowstone!
I really need to see this. I love the passion. Well done, Sir
I hope that the producers at some stage will highlight just how poor the international response has been to preserving the natural heritage of Romania. I have been seeking to draw attention to the need for the sympathetic regeneration of the Carpathian-Transylvanian region for more than a dozen years. The tangible support that has been forthcoming has been simply pathetic. It is said that all sorts of funds are available from, for example, the EU but how much has found its way onto the ground? Very, very little is the answer. I expect that in 10 or 20 years time we will be looking at the loss of this heritage and the question will then be asked, ‘just how was it possible to have failed so badly?’.
Sadly this is a valid point Stuart, but this is what we are trying to do – draw the world’s attention to these areas before it’s too late. Hopefully with the support of high profile figures like Prince Charles and with NGOs like The European Nature Trust and Adept to name but two, the tide will begin to turn.
I am a romanian and I just want to say Thank You!
You do a great job for Romania! Finally someone who does a show that shows the beauty of this country!