Just as freshwater turtles move between the two worlds of water and land, so too does Peter Praschag. A native of Graz and recognised as one of the world’s eminent turtle biologists, Peter moves effortlessly between the two worlds of science and field biology. Turtles were always part of his childhood, as an adult they became his life’s passion. In an old house on the outskirts of the city he keeps almost one third of the world’s freshwater turtles, now considered to be the most endangered vertebrate species on the planet. Peter’s desire is to save turtle species from extinction, and in this enthralling film we follow him as he works in Graz and travels to Brazil, Vietnam and Bangladesh to save some of the most endangered turtles on earth. Peter Praschag is one of those rare people who make a difference, he is the TURTLE HERO.
Written and Directed by
Jeremy Hogarth
Photography
Rolando Menardi
Additional Photography
Johannes Pötscher
Zhao Dong
Camera Assistants
Günter Schinnerl
Florian Wollinger
Engelbert Obex
Wang Ze Yi Hu
Editing
Alexandra Herzog
Original Music
Stefan Schrupp
Sound Design and Mix
Christofer Frank
Titles
Simon Wendler
Colourist
Lee Niederkofler
Narrator
Andrew Solomon
3D Graphics
Guido Fritsch
Scientific Advisors
Richard Vogt, Brazil
Camila Ferrara, Brazil
Virginia Bernardes, Brazil
Gerald Kuchling, China
Lu Shunqing, China
Thomas Hildebrandt, Berlin
Susanne Holtze, Berlin
Frank Göritz, Berlin
Shannon DiRuzzo
Peter Praschag
Is a biologist and turtle expert with conservation projects in Austria, India and Bangladesh
In Collaboration with
Suzhou Zoo, China
Changsha Zoo, China
Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazônia, Manaus
Leibniz-Institut für Zoo - und Wildtierforschung, Berlin
Naturhistorisches Museum, Vienna
Tiergarten Schönbrunn, Vienna
Karl-Franzens-Universität - Institut für Zoologie, Graz
San Diego Zoo, California
Turtle Survival Alliance, Texas
Asian Turtle Program, Hanoi
Wildlife Conservation Society
Batagur Breeding Centre, Bangladesh
Barbara Rosanelli, Film Commission Graz
Turtle Island, Graz
Archives
National Geographic Creative
NHNZ Moving Images
Stephen Divers
The Producers wish to thank
Immanuel Karner, Julia Lamprecht
Kiran Praschag, Rainer Praschag, Doris Prenninger,
Christian Sturmbauer, Georg Gassner, Verónica Frechilla,
Pham Van Thong, Nguyn Thu Thuy, Chung Nuu Nguyen,
Tim McCormac, Tran Van Cuong
Location Managers
Rupali Ghosh, India & Bangladesh
Wolfgang Rebernik, Vietnam
Carolina Fernandes, Brazil
Yi Nan, China
Production Manager
Alexandra Herzog
Producer
Lukas Kogler
Unit Mangers, ORF
Gabriele Wistawel
Roman Landauer
Commissioning Editors
Andrew Solomon, ORf
Jörg Krause, ARTE G.E.I.E
Bernd Strobel, BR
Executive Producer, ORF
Franz Fuchs
Series Editor, ORF
Andrew Solomon
Head of Factual, ORF
Gerhard Klein
Produced by dreiD.at
in Coproduction with
ORF, ARTE, BR and BMB
in Association with, ORF Enterprise, Cine Styria and Stadt Graz
© 2016 ORF