Whales are amongst the most incredibly beautiful creatures to inhabit the earth and in this documentary we are taken on a mission to find a one in a million shot of finding a special whale that emits whale song at 52Htz thus giving him the title of 52.
The Loneliest Whale: In Search Of 52, is the World is a feature length documentary that will take audiences on a journey to find the forgotten “52 Hertz Whale.” Calling out at 52 Hz, a frequency unrecognized by other whales, this mysterious creature is believed to have lived its life in complete solitude, its calls forever unanswered by its own kind. In our ever-present fascination with these majestic beasts, the tale of “52” has prompted an intense reaction amongst our own species, pointing to a greater awareness of human loneliness than ever before.
Documentaries are rather hit and miss, a lot of whether you will find them interesting or not is based in whether you have any real interest in the subject. Now searching for a whale, outside of the plot premise of Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home, could be a relatively dry subject and as witnessed during The Loneliest Whale, there are a vast spaces of shots of the sea and not a lot else. However the documentary immediately draws you in on what feels like Moby Dick type adventure but for a modern generation. This time they aren’t on their way to kill the elusive whale, but to find it and try and find more out about it.
Despite the clunky editing, the film takes you on a journey about the species and the history of whaling, to where we are now, with all our modern technology. At times it’s a bit heavy handed with it’s conservation recruitment for the ocean, but it’s clear the participants and the film makers have a deep love for what they are doing.
As they draw closer in their search and they discover other whales, there’s some incredible up close footage of the whales and their song, there are some beautiful moments that will bring even the most hardened of movie goer close to tears at the breathtaking visuals.
Overall, it’s less glossy than David Attenborough, National Geographic or a Disney Nature doc, but none the less powerful and moving. The conclusion will leave wanting to see what happens next, but ultimately unfulfilled. The Loneliest Whale: In Search Of 52, is at times breathtaking, but due to clunky editing and the copyright free soundtrack, it’s not the epic adventure it could have been.
The Loneliest Whale will be available on digital download platforms from 4th April & on DVD from 11th April
