Der Wipfelstürmer

Even as a child Thomas Grünkorn climbed trees, mainly to be closer to birds. Nowadays the qualified biologist yearly climbs hundreds of trees in a professional capacity, examining and banding raptor chicks in their nests. As part of a new research project he has attached cameras to nests inhabited by buzzards in order to get to the bottom of their decline. The cameras capture images probably never seen before by humans: during the night eagle-owls are systematically plundering buzzard nests.

Director: Ralf Bartels

Ralf Bartels, born 1963 in Oberstreu/Franconia
Like many other freshly graduated teachers in 1992 he ended up with one of the new private TV broadcasters. After 6 years as a reporter, senior duty editor and head of the RTL studios in Kiel he worked as a free author, filmmaker and producer, accompanied the foundation of a Croatian TV station as a consultant, trained young journalists and managed various editorial departments. His favourite projects, though, are NaturNah (close to nature) contributions for the broadcaster NDR. He lives with his two sons on the Baltic coast close to Hohwacht.

Germany
2015
29 Min.
German
8
Director: Ralf Bartels
Script: Ralf Bartels
Cinematography: Axel Nicke, Thomas Grünkorn
Editing: Sonja Kieschnick
Music:
Narrator: Konstantin von Westphalen
Editor: Christian Pipke
Producer: Joker Pictures GmbH
Nominations: Wild Schleswig Holstein 2016