mySwitzerland

Yann Arthus-Bertrand
Yann Arthus-Bertrand is an awardwinning
French photographer.
His book “Earth From Above”, first
published in 1999, revealed a
bird’s-eye view of the blue planet and
its natural treasures, and became an
international bestseller. His documentary
film “Home” (2009) also used
powerful images to make audiences
aware that the human race bears
responsibility for repairing the devastation
it has inflicted on nature and
must halt further destruction. In 2005,
Yann Arthus-Bertrand created the
GoodPlanet Foundation, of which he
is president, to raise awareness
of environmental issues and to
encourage humanity to protect its
natural heritage.
www.yannarthusbertrand.org
Yann Arthus-Bertrand, last summer
you photographed and filmed
Switzerland from a helicopter.
What were your impressions?
I loved the variety of landscapes,
mountains and valleys, glaciers and
lakes. The Rhine Falls took my breath
away – it’s the most beautiful waterfall
I’ve ever seen. I was also impressed by
the agricultural landscapes of the region
of La Gruyère. The views of a waterfall
near Lauterbrunnen were magical: we
could make out an ancient, gnarled face
in the rock. And as we flew over the
Matterhorn we saw two mountaineers
who had just reached the summit and
were embracing: that was beautiful and
unexpected.
What did you find
particularly striking?
The blue of the lake water, the
green of the grass – you see that it rains
a fair bit in Switzerland! I appreciated
the fact that there aren’t advertising
billboards in the streets or fences
between the houses, and that everything
is so clean.
Were you already familiar
with Switzerland?
No, I only knew the region around
Geneva. I travelled across the country
as a child, and remember the smell of
cows – a very pleasant smell, actually! I
believe few French people visit Switzerland
in summer, they mostly come to
ski – but in fact there’s plenty to
discover. Next year I’m going to spend
a week in Switzerland with my wife.
Why did you come to
Switzerland?
Switzerland was one of the filming
locations for “Human”, my latest project.
I’ve been travelling around the
world now for two and a half years with
my cameraman, Bruno Cusa. In September
2015 the film will be released
and the website will go live. I want to
show the world’s most beautiful places,
letting people speak for themselves –
because living together means listening
to one another. It’s a plea for peaceful
coexistence, for love for the earth and
the life all around us.
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