Scuba Diver Ocean Planet Issue 2/2016 | Page 53

FILM FESTIVAL www.adex.asia GOMBESSA II: THE GROUPER MYSTERY By Laurent Ballesta The filming of Gombessa II: The Grouper Mystery took place at the South Pass of the Fakarava Atoll in the Tuamotu Archipelago, French Polynesia. The heart of the mission was to capture a unique aggregation of marbled groupers of the Pacific and illustrate how their spawning plays a key role in the balance of the lagoonal ecosystem. Thousands of them somehow hear a deep call once a year on the July full moon, to come to aggregate and mate for an extremely brief and spectacular moment. Laurent Ballesta, supported by his worldclass team of experts, carried out a 24-hour exploration dive at a depth of more than 20 metres to study this wild ecosystem, also spending the night with the reef sharks that come to feed on the waiting fish… GENESIS: THE MAN WHO DISCOVERED THE SEA By Manfred Christ & Harald Pokieser Professor Hans Hass was one of the very first people to bring images of the underwater world to the surface, developing camera equipment, and later diving equipment, that resulted in the sport we know and love today. During his career as one of the earliest explorers of the ocean, Professor Hans Hass was not only a prolific writer, but also produced over 100 films, along with his beautiful wife, the intrepid diver, photographer and explorer, Lotte. This unique, never-before-released documentary charts Professor Hans Hass’ incredible pioneering career, and is presented by Leslie Leaney, co-founder of the Historical Diving Society USA and founder of the Historical Diver magazine. ADEX 2016 FILM FESTIVAL Presented by Leslie Leaney Presenters and films are subject to change. Please check www.adex.asia for updates.