David Attenborough's A Life On Our Planet leaves viewers in tears as Netflix doc reveals devastation of natural world

The film has been described as Sir David's witness statement
Emma Clarke5 October 2020

Sir David Attenborough's latest documentary A Life On Our Planet has struck a chord with viewers, with the naturalist's stark message leaving many in tears.

While the film, which premiered on Netflix on Sunday, does make for uncomfortable viewing, it is also an essential watch.

Tracking pivotal moments throughout Sir David's career - from making contact with a remote New Guinea tribe living in a completely sustainable fashion, to his famous encounter with Silverback gorillas - the film covers how drastically the natural world has been altered by humans during his lifetime, and delivers a powerful call to action.

Sir David, 94, who has dedicated his life to documenting and conserving the natural world, calls the global devastation "our greatest mistake", but also offers a glimmer of hope by stating: "If we act now, we can yet put it right."

David Attenborough: A Life on our Planet - In pictures

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Many viewers were left emotional after watching the hard-hitting documentary, with one user writing: "David Attenborough always manages to make me cry!"

More still urged others to watch the Netflix film, calling it Attenborough's most "critically important work yet".

The film was initially slated for release in cinemas earlier this year, but was delayed due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. Instead, the film was shown in UK theatres on Monday, September 28, before arriving on the streaming platform yesterday.

Sir David, who recently joined Instagram and broke the record for gaining more than 1 million followers in less than four hours, also provided solutions to help combat climate change and reduce our carbon footprint, including reducing the population size and creating no fishing zones.

Coinciding with the release of his new film, the naturalist was also asked questions about the natural world by Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis, in an adorable clip shared on social media.

A Life On Our Planet is available to stream on Netflix now

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