A new Netflix documentary shines light on Manuel Antonio’s vibrant ecosystem

2Costa Rica | 04/21/2022

This collaborative effort between the streaming giants and the Obama’s media company zeros in on some of the world’s most stunning natural parks. 

A breathtaking landscape shot of the tropical rainforest immediately gives a sense of location, while its vivid soundscapes hint at the colorful wildlife that inhabits it. A montage showing the wide array of species that make this natural oasis their home doubles down on the immediate sense of familiarity for anyone who has visited the so-called Central American Switzerland.

Without needing to hear a word from the evocative voice over of former United States President Barack Obama, the richness of the tropical rainforest is immediately apparent through the stylized close-ups and vibrant natural melodies that make most of Netflix’s documentary series Our Great National Parks. During its opening episode, a general look into the different ecosystems that make up Earth’s natural wonders takes the viewer on a tour through African beaches, Japanese islands and Australia’s Great Barrier Reef. But naturally, no nature documentary would be complete without a look into one of Costa Rica’s many allures.

In this case, the film uses the country, and the Manuel Antonio National Park more specifically, as the prime example of Earth's rainforests and their innate diversity. By zooming in on different species before focusing on the iconic three-fingered sloth, the documentary zeros in on the fact that more than half of all life on the planet exists within this very particular habitat.

In addition to their charming sleepiness and overall cuteness, sloths fit perfectly as protagonists due to their unique relationship with their environment. Their eating ritual, for example, relies more on sound and smell than on sight, fortifying the holistic appeal of the tropical rainforests. The documentary then explains the fun fact about sloth’s fur being its own unique environment for a wide range of insects and fungi, a perfect embodiment of the tropical forest’s exuberant liveliness.

Said sequence comes around the 25 minute mark of Our Great National Park’s opening episode, a 5-part series commissioned by streaming giant Netflix to Barack and Michelle Obama’s media company Higher Ground Productions. The series goal is to highlight some of the world’s most stunning natural parks as a way to create environmental conscience and conservation, two of the former US president’s main achievements during his tenure.

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