Do we truly notice the animals around us? This is the question posed by Super Nature, a nature documentary that implores us to put down our smartphones and re-engage with the natural world.

But the film is not simply an ode to adorable seals and endangered rhinos; the lens through which we view them is just as important. Which is why director Ed Sayers calls on international filmmakers, united by their love of Super 8, to create a wonderfully varied mosaic of the world around us.

The choice of medium is crucial. What might seem like a limitation quickly becomes the film’s greatest strength. Its crackling, home-movie texture feels refreshingly warm and nostalgic compared to the clinical sheen of ultra-HD footage. And, with only a few minutes of celluloid at their disposal, no instant playback, and no quick editing, the Super 8 format forces filmmakers to slow down and pay attention in a way our tap-happy iPhone culture rarely requires.

The documentary’s pacing reflects the fleeting nature of physical film, moving at a canter from one visually arresting image to the next. The epic, thousand-mile journey of Scottish salmon flows into the quiet world of a weedy sea dragon that travels barely 200 metres in its lifetime. These aesthetic delights are grounded by insight into the filmmakers’ own lives. Revealing the personal tales and motivations behind their lenses transforms Super Nature from a straightforward documentary into something deeply intimate. It is a testament to how our lives can be enriched when we genuinely choose to connect.

This is not a David Attenborough production, nor does it try to be. Rather than delving deeply into complex ecosystems, the film focuses entirely on the emotional responses animals awaken in us: curiosity, tenderness, and awe. Yet while the imagery is consistently incredible, Super Nature occasionally struggles with repetition – both in music and messaging – particularly when it settles into familiar environmental warnings. The problem is not the urgency or severity of the message, but the predictability of its delivery.

Still, at its best, Super Nature allows us to experience the world with a childlike sense of wonder. Its greatest achievement is also its simplest message: sometimes, we just need to slow down and look – preferably through a Super 8 camera.

Super Nature is in cinemas 4th September