Darßer NaturfilmFestival 2025: Program section "Competition"
Immerse yourself in the world of orangutans! This documentary shows the endangered apes at eye level for the first time. The filmmakers Jens Westphalen and Thoralf Grospitz accompany the female orangutan Sati and her daughter Huyan through the treetops of Borneo. Using modern drone technology, we experience their lives up close: from the intimate mother-child bond to the sensational use of tools and the threat to their habitat from palm oil plantations. Unforgettable scenes from the jungle and the Sepilok orphanage make it clear why protecting the rainforests is crucial - for the orangutans and the future of our planet.
Germany // 2025 // 89 min. // no age rating
Director: Jens Westphalen, Thoralf Grospitz
Writer: Jens Westphalen
Cinematographer: Jens Westphalen, Thoralf Grospitz
Editor: Klaus Müller
Music: Oliver Heuss
Sound: Thoralf Grospitz, Jens Westphalen
Editor: Monika Schäfer (Arte), Ralf Quibeldey (NDR), Gernot Lercher (ORF)
Producer:in: Tom Synnatzschke
Producer:in: Jörn Röver
Production: Doclights / NDR Naturfilm
Jens Westphalen
Jens Westphalen grew up in Hamburg and is a qualified biologist, freelance cameraman and producer of wildlife and nature films. He has been involved in nature conservation since his school days and worked as a nature photographer on various continents before and during his biology studies. In 1993, he joined forces with Thoralf Grospitz and realized his childhood dream of becoming a wildlife filmmaker. Since then, he has spent around half the year on filming trips all over the world and, in addition to his camera work at Zorillafilm, he also takes care of the concepts, scripts and voice-over texts for the films. Most recently, Jens and Thoralf were on the trail of orangutans in Borneo.
Thoralf Grospitz
Thoralf Grospitz is a qualified biologist, freelance cameraman and producer of wildlife and nature films. He was born in Hamburg and graduated from high school there. After school and military service, he studied biology in Kaiserslautern and Hamburg. Even before and during his studies, he was active in nature conservation and worked as a press photographer on the side. Since 1993, Thoralf has been shooting nature documentaries together with Jens Westphalen for various broadcasters such as NDR, WDR, ZDF, Arte, ORF, Terra Mater, National Geographic and others. In addition to camera work, at Zorillafilm he takes care of research, shooting planning and technology. He spends around half the year on location with Jens Westphalen, most recently in Borneo.