Picture of His Life

Yonatan Nir and Dani Menkin | 2019 | 71 minutes | Translation: Hebrew, English

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He swam with crocodiles and killer whales, with anacondas and with great white sharks. But one major predator has always eluded Amos Nachoum. The legendary underwater stills photographer always dreamed of swimming underwater with a polar bear and capturing it face-to-face on film. He tried before and barely escaped with his life, but now, as he nears the end of his career, he is determined to give it one last shot. The danger is real, perhaps more real than ever, but this is his last chance to get The Picture of His Life.

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As he prepares to escape to the ominous tranquility of the Arctic Ocean, Amos contemplates the series of unspoken events that drove him here, to the end of the world. After living through childhood abuse and war, swimming with a ferocious predator in a silent, cerulean realm may be the closest he will ever come to achieving real peace. It has been a long and painful journey, but where others find fear, Amos finds redemption.

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Picture of His Life, produced by Nancy Spielberg, is an extraordinary yet intimate account of the life and work of Amos Nachoum. 10 years in the making, the documentary was shot on all corners of the world – from Antarctica to Botswana, Norway, the Amazon River and finally the Canadian Arctic.

This is Yonatan Nir and Dani Menkin's second co-directed film, after the critically acclaimed Dolphin Boy. Like in Dolphin Boy, protagonist Amos Nachoum was badly hurt as a result of human violence and finds hope and redemption in his connection with wildlife and the ocean.