Honor thy father: Part 1

My father, wildlife filmmaker Bo Landin

I owe a lot to my father, regardless of how much we may have fought throughout our lives. To anyone who knows us, we are peas in a pod. Like him, I lack any sort of innate respect for authority. We never do what we are told unless we agree that it’s the absolutely best way to do things. Not even then you get any guarantees. We like our independence. We are quick thinkers, quick actors. We often say things that provoke, sometimes even for the fun of pushing people’s buttons. Profit is not a big driver compared to the driver for making things better, making the world a better place, engaging and inspiring people.

We can both cook up a storm. Neither one knows how to use a measuring cup nor follow a recipe. Go figure.

I’ve taught him all he knows on decanting and wine temperatures. #proud

To those who are not Swedish and recognize him by his photo, my father is an environmental journalist and film producer. Though he started in his teens by making Greenpeace-style mischief with his friends and then writing about it for the local newspaper, he is most known for his many years hosting a nature expedition show around the world on TV4. He also made countless hours of film for Discovery, National Geographic, France 5, NDR, WDR, NHK and many more. When I grew up, there were expeditions to save tigers in India, cheetahs in Namibia, some random bird or ice cap or whatnot in the Arctic. Sometimes we joined. When we were covered in leeches in the jungles of Belize, I whined, sis trotted along. When he let me film crocodiles in Australia, sis sat nicely as told in the middle of the boat while I nearly got made breakfast by leaning too far out. Good times, good times.

Dad always wants to make the world a better place and to communicate the beauty that is around us to as many people as possible. Today, I can finally relate.

When I was a stock market analyst, he probably wondered what he had done wrong. Now,  I’m struggling with finances but passionate about communicating the joys of wine and the necessity of sustainability and ethics in the wine world. Today, he can finally relate.

And tomorrow, I will show you how this text finally relates to wine…

Dad has a knack for making friends all over the world. And then eating them.