THE TALE OF THE WHITE WHALE

Stephan Köster is known for his sea and underwater documentaries. The Tale of the White Whale is a semi-dramatized documentary about the 1965 escape of a white whale that was on board a ship, destined for a zoo in England. The whale made its way into the Rhine River, which was heavily polluted at the time. He continued his journey without being caught, despite persistent efforts. The event attracted great interest in the media, who referred to the animal as Moby Dick. It also marked the beginning of modern ecological awareness by making clear that government policies toward nature needed to change. This smiling ambassador of the animal world made the pollution of the Rhine impossible to ignore, and it was thanks to him that steps were taken to clean it up.