REVIEW: I really enjoyed the simplicity of this documentary. Stephen de Vere, described by Sir David Attenborough as 'A remarkable cameraman..' has perfectly captured the countryside on his back doorstep, through a very variable English year.
After years of working with the BBC, filming such
landmark series as 'Life', 'Yellowstone', and 'Life in the Freezer', Stephen decided to go on a more personal crusade and highlight the wildlife that can be found in and around your own back yard.
Stephen's techniques and fieldcraft are simple yet effective - use local knowledge, never disturb or impose yourself on the wildlife, and then just sit back quietly using your eyes and ears to really see what is out there. We've mostly all seen fleeting glimpses of sparrowhawks darting between the branches in a wood, but to capture them mating and breaking twigs for nests is a whole different matter that not many can claim to have witnessed.
The filmwork is excellent, testament to Stephen's vast experience, and to watch and compare the hunting techniques of the fox and the barn owl, as they feed in a 'good vole year' is stunning.
The 50 minutes or so of the documentary doesn't seem long enough by far. Additional material, including Nuthatches, Green Woodpeckers and Lizards all potentially living at your own local nature reserves, can found in the 'Local Treasures' DVD extra, and hints that there could easily have been a documentary for each of the four seasons with more than enough content to keep any nature lover happy. As an added bonus, 5% of the proceeds of all sales of the DVD go to the Wildlife Trusts. The rest goes to support the film, which took thousands of hours in the field to make
In all, i'd give this a full 5 Stars, and i can't wait for a sequel - 
Buy the DVD now at Amazon or visit Stephen's website at Stephen de Vere
