The Riot and the Dance

The narration and story-telling was great not to mention the immersive experience of the film overall. Lovely to experience God's world in a way I wouldn't have yearned to before. Eye-opening to say the list. May God continue to bless your ministry Sir and Team 👏🏾👏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾

Having studied biological sciences and History and Philosophy of Science at Christ's College, Cambridge, I can assure you that it is not a sign of intelligence to complain about the narration of this documentary. Evolution is a theory which you cause to build hypotheses. But a trained scientist knows that scientific theories are never proven. They are simply not yet disproven. The same goes for belief in God. It can is not yet disproven. To understand this better go check out David Hume and the Black Swan problem. That said now to this film:

It is a documentary made by someone who believes that the Bible is a source of data on the origins of the universe and on our experience of life and goes out to look at the natural world with that mindset.

Charles Darwin, who studied at my college, Christs some 150 years before me, went out to look at the world and lost his faith in God as a creator when he saw the suffering of the natives of Patagonia. Indeed, so miserable was their condition in his eyes that he developed his favoured races concept which led more or less directly via the eugenics movement to the genocide of the Second World War.

How different could world history have been, if Charles Darwin, had really understand the point that Gordon Wilson keeps trying to make. Wilson like all scripture-rooted Christians believes that the world is in a fallen state. So to see shivering miserable natives in Patagonia, does not imply that mankind are higher apes, as one of Darwin's colleagues tried to point out to him.

Biological research that is framed by the theory of evolution will find endless evidence and it is a convincing paradigm. The problem is that it does not leave room for joy, awe or wonder because ultimately, atheistic evolutionary theory tells us that we are the meaningless product of chance mutations. If my existence is due to the reproductive success of my genes, then there is no moral or philosophical reason why I should idealise Ghengis Khan and spend my life killing, looting and raping.

Gordon Wilson offers us a better frame for raising a positive, hopeful next generation.

As for the film-making. It is superbly shot and edited. Poetically written. The music is entertaining and imaginative while this one is great, Episode 2 only gets better.

It is all good except the music. It is too loud and distracting, rather than complimentary. It's rare to have the sound track ruin a nature film.

The Riot and the Dance is a nature documentary series that stands out for its breathtaking cinematography and its faith-based perspective on the natural world. Hosted by Dr. Gordon Wilson, a biologist with a deep passion for creation, the film offers a stunning exploration of wildlife while giving credit to God as the ultimate Creator.

Unlike mainstream nature documentaries that often focus solely on evolutionary processes, The Riot and the Dance presents nature through a Christian worldview, emphasizing the beauty, complexity, and purpose behind all living things. The film is both educational and awe-inspiring, featuring diverse landscapes, intricate animal behaviors, and vibrant ecosystems, all captured with high-quality visuals.

One of its strengths is how it balances scientific insight with theological reflection, making it appealing to those who appreciate both nature and faith. Whether showcasing the delicate structure of a flower, the majesty of a predator in action, or the vastness of the oceans, the documentary invites viewers to marvel at creation as a reflection of God's handiwork.

For those looking for a nature documentary that aligns with a biblical perspective while still delivering spectacular cinematography, The Riot and the Dance is a compelling and refreshing choice.

Loved it. It was wonderful to breath a sigh of relief to watch a documentary that gives glory and praise where it's due; my kids enjoyed it immensely and I even learned some things that challenged my thinking on certain passages of the Bible and who God is. I also enjoyed Gordon's love for God's creation; you can tell he isn't tired of studying the depths of the wonders of the world.

I think, for having a lower budget, the crew did great! The music choices for "Water" weren't fitting stylistically all the time, but I think there's probably a narrow pool to choose from. My kids were incredulous that people think that things come from nothing without a Creator's hand, and that's a great start. Beautifully done! Excited to watch the next one!