David Attenborough Meets Barack Obama
An extraordinary White House conversation between President Barack Obama and Sir David Attenborough about the future of our planet.
In May 2015, two of the most influential voices on the planet came together for a remarkable and widely celebrated television event. When President Barack Obama invited Sir David Attenborough to the White House, the result was an extraordinary on-screen encounter between the leader of the free world and one of the greatest naturalists of all time.
Broadcast on BBC One and seen in more than 50 countries worldwide, David Attenborough Meets President Obama quickly became one of the most talked-about factual programmes of the year.
The conversation offered a rare meeting of minds between two global figures united by a deep concern for the future of the planet. President Obama, a lifelong admirer of Attenborough’s groundbreaking films, reflected on how growing up in Hawaii and Indonesia shaped his enduring connection to the natural world, while Attenborough shared insights from more than six decades exploring Earth’s most extraordinary ecosystems.
Filmed partly inside the White House and featuring rare and behind-the-scenes footage from Attenborough’s career — including material from his record-breaking dive on the Great Barrier Reef — the programme placed one of television’s most iconic storytellers in dialogue with a sitting U.S. President on the defining environmental challenges of our time.
During the interview, President Barack Obama says:
“I have been a huge admirer of your work for a very long time…you’ve been a great educator as well as a great naturalist.”
He adds, “We’re not moving as fast as we need to and part of what I know from watching your programs, and all the great work you’ve done, is that these ecosystems are all interconnected. If just one country is doing the right thing but other countries are not then we’re not going to solve the problem, we’re going to have to have a global solution to this.”
“What we’re seeing are global trends that depend on the entire world working together, and sadly we haven’t made as much progress as we need to on climate change.”
Quotes
“As the US home to the BBC’s landmark natural history series, we are privileged and delighted to present this extraordinary conversation with President Obama and Sir Attenborough, one of the greatest naturalists of our time.”
Sarah Barnett,
President
BBC America
“It is extraordinary to see these two charismatic individuals together, thoughtfully addressing some of the most important issues facing the planet. This intimate film which includes behind-the-scenes footage of President Obama and Attenborough at the White House, provides the context for their important debate. It includes previously unseen footage as well as some of the highlights from Attenborough’s greatest films – including Life on Earth, Blue Planet, and Galapagos.”
Anthony Geffen
CEO & Producer
Atlantic Studios
Press
” An extraordinary meeting between the leader of the free world and the master of the natural one.”
The Daily Mail
” Attenborough made the case for nature. Its value was beyond monetary.’”
The Observer
” Every child should be made to watch this.’”
East Anglian Daily Times
” A unique exchange.’”
ABC Australia