A review of NOVA's Miracle of Life (2001)

NOVA is a series of science documentaries which have won many awards including the Emmy and the Peabody. The artist behind the ‘Miracle of Life’ documentary films is photographer Lennart Nilsson. The human reproduction video was broadcast by PBS movies. This Nova video series is not to be confused with Zivot Je Cudo, a Serbian action drama film.

Lennart Nilsson

Zivot Je Cudo means the Miracle of Life in Serbian language. This movie has no connection with the human reproduction videos of the twentieth century made by Swedish photographer Lennart Nilsson. Lennart Nilsson won three Emmys for the series of innovative videos on conception and birth. The 2001 video, Life’s Greatest Miracle, is the sequel to the earlier videos. It is also further evidence of Nilsson’s mastery with micro images.

Micro photography

He has recorded things as small as a millionth of a millimetre with his modern cameras. His recordings have been published in prestigious organisations like Time Life videos. The series of videos assiduously trace the growth of a baby from a sperm and egg stage to a full grown baby. With moving pictures, it reveals answers to our question, i.e. when does conception occur? The pictures are ably supported by John Lithgow’s narration.

Emmy for the movie

The 2001 movie comes nearly two decades after the first creation. It was pioneering work in 1983 when Lennart Nilsson used a doctor’s endoscope to photograph the beginnings of the birth of a baby. The Emmy for the movie gave a citation that the movie had used, ‘revolutionary micro-photographic techniques.’ The 2001 human birth video fills one with awe at nature’s elaborate mechanism to sustain the human race.

From conception to baby

Again, the work is superbly done in this conception video. Most people are filled with wonder while watching the foetal development video. Lennart’s micro photography is clearer and colourful. The introduction of a couple with a pregnant wife adds to the human interest angle. The fertilised ovum’s journey down the fallopian tube, the tiny embryo and its gradual transformation into three portions which produce all the human organs, is fascinating. Considering the fact that this video was made ten years ago, it still fills us with marvel at the advanced photography. This is a video of great knowledge and should be in everyone’s DVD collection.