About this episode

Hannah Kaplan interviews Dr. Edith Widder about her groundbreaking ocean discoveries featured in the documentary 'A Life Illuminated'.

The REEL WILD™ New York Film Festival returns April 23–26, 2026, celebrating filmmakers and wildlife stories that inspire action and conservation impact. WCS’s Hannah Kaplan sat down with Dr. Edith Widder, star of A Life Illuminated, winner of Best Exploration Film and Best in Fest. The documentary follows Dr. Widder - one of the first women in her field and first people to explore the ocean’s twilight zone - as she descends 3,300 feet into the deep, capturing the first-ever footage of the elusive giant squid and uncovering bioluminescent phenomena that could transform our understanding of life on Earth. Reporting: Hannah KaplanGuest: Dr. Edith Widder

People in this episode

Host: Hannah Kaplan

Guest: Dr. Edith Widder

Topics covered

• ocean exploration
• bioluminescence
• wildlife conservation
• documentary filmmaking
• giant squid

Keywords

• ocean
• giant squid
• bioluminescent phenomena
• exploration
• documentary
• conservation

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Wildlife Conservation Society

Books & works: A Life Illuminated

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