Meeting with Herlé JOUON – The sea in his DNA
Originally from Brittany, Herlé JOUON grew up surrounded by sea spray and tales of the sea. Descended from fishermen, he has always carried within him the unbreakable bond that unites man and the sea. It was only natural that he turned to photography to tell the stories of this fascinating, ever-changing world. For more than twenty years, he has criss-crossed the oceans and coastlines as part of the Thalassa television programme, capturing through his camera the soul of the professionals of this universe, the waves and marine animals.
Today, he uses his experience and sensitivity to offer a deeper insight into our relationship with living creatures. In his latest documentary, ‘Dolphins: Human Perspectives’, Herlé invites us to engage in a process of collective introspection: how do we perceive dolphins? How do we share their space? And above all, how can we better coexist with them?
For him, the dolphin is a fascinating animal, but one that must be observed with humility.
We must go beyond fascination. Give animals back their place and keep ours.
His film, shot in the heart of the Pelagos Sanctuary, highlights a fragile territory where beauty coexists with human pressures: tourism, maritime trade, noise pollution… all issues that he calls for caution and respect in addressing.
Through this project, Herlé is not seeking to accuse, but to raise awareness. It is aimed at boaters, fishermen and sea lovers alike.
We need to rethink our relationship with this space. We invite ourselves into a place where there are already people.
It is only natural that La Croix Valmer, a town deeply connected to the sea and committed to protecting its coastline, should host the screening of his film on Sea Day. A moment of sharing and awareness-raising that perfectly echoes the director’s message:
The sea makes many people happy, so we must take care of it.
For Herlé JOUON, images remain a powerful tool for raising awareness. Cinema, he says, ‘uses staging to make the message more understandable’.
It is with this conviction that he continues his work, combining emotion, education and beauty to bring a fresh perspective to the wonders of the sea.