English name: Le Monde Du Silence; The Silent World

Mainland name: The Silent World

Hong Kong name: The Silent Underwater World

Type: Large-Scale Documentary

Year of Production: 1956

Place of Production: France/Italy

Production company: Société Filmad et Requins Associés

Director: Louis Malle/Louis Malle

Jacques Yves Cousteau

Screenwriter: Jacques-Yves Cousteau

Award record: Palme d'Or for Best Picture at the 9th Cannes Film Festival (1956)

Best Documentary Feature at the 29th Oscar Film (1956)

Length: 86 minutes

Plot summary:

This is a documentary about underwater exploration. Oceanographer Colonel Guest led the Kaliso and a group of professionals to explore the wonders of the underwater world in the Mediterranean, Red Sea, Persian Gulf, Indian Ocean and other waters. The improved underwater camera follows divers as they work to unreached depths under the sea, recording the results of their explorations and the conditions of underwater creatures. They rely on various underwater tools to swim with various fish schools, detect seabed landforms, coral reefs, and investigate the wreckage of sunken ships. They encountered seasonal sea storms, had bloody encounters with sharks and whales, and encountered various ocean wonders and interesting sailing events.

Behind the scenes and brief commentary:

Director Mahler had the desire to make movies when he was 14 years old. At the age of 19, he entered the French Higher School of Film Research and studied film seriously for 2 years. While studying in graduate school, Mahler was not interested in film theory, but instead worked hard to practice how to express images. When he graduated, he refused to submit a thesis to the school, demonstrating his emphasis on practice rather than theory.

When Mahler was still at the Film Institute, he got an opportunity to shoot some short documentaries similar to scientific and educational films with Colonel Guest, which facilitated Mahler who was eager to practice. Subsequently, Colonel Guest prepared to shoot the underwater documentary "The Silent World". This film used improved photography equipment, which can make underwater photography more convenient. Mahler accompanied Colonel Guest on large-scale filming work in the Mediterranean, Red Sea, Indian Ocean and other waters, and went into the sea to shoot shark footage himself. When this then-rare film was released in April 1956, the title credit stated that they were co-directors. The film was not only a success at the box office, but also won the highest award in the international film industry at Cannes. At only 24 years old, Mahler stood on the podium at the Cannes Film Festival for the first time.

About photography

In 1953, starting from his own work, Jacques-Yves Guest very much hoped to have a convenient and easy-to-use underwater camera. He asked his company La Spiro Technique to develop it. After many experiments, insurmountable optical problems were encountered. Later, the problem was solved with the help of Nikon - and Nikon later benefited greatly. In 1957, using Gerst's idea as a starting point, Utes successfully manufactured the world's first 35mm waterproof camera. Gerst named this little thing Calypso Phot and registered the trademark in France. From 1953 to 1955, after three years of filming, relying on this set of flashes, Guest shot the most important underwater film in his life, "The Silent World" ("The Silent World"), a collaboration with the great French director Louis Malle. "Le Monde du Silence" won the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival that year and the Oscar for Best Documentary Feature the following year.