March of the Penguins

Coming from a French director, Luc Jacquet, the miraculous MARCH OF THE PENGUINS would have to be a love story. And so it is. The film explores the mating rituals of the emperor penguin, one of the most resilient animals on earth. Each summer, after a nourishing period of deep-sea feeding, the penguins pop up onto the ice and begin their procession across the frozen tundra of Antarctica. Walking doggedly in single file, they are a sight to behold. Hundreds converge from every direction, moving instinctively toward their mating ground. Once there, they mingle and chatter until they find the perfect mate--a monogamous match that will last a year, through the brutal winter and into the spring. During that time, the mother will give birth to an egg and then leave for the ocean to feed again. The father will stay to protect the egg through the freezing blizzards and pure darkness of winter, which would be deadly to practically any other species. Finally, with spring, the egg hatches and the baby penguins are born. Mothers return from the sea to reunite with their families and feed the starving newborns, while the fathers are finally relieved of their protective duties after months without food. This remarkable story is narrated by Morgan Freeman, whose dignified voice gives the penguins the grave admiration they deserve. But even more incredible is the photography, which shows the penguins hunting underwater, sliding on the ice, and even what definitely looks like kissing. At one point the camera even zooms inside the mouth of a penguin as it regurgitates food for its young. A story of love and, more strikingly, survival, MARCH OF THE PENGUINS is a stirring, eye-opening, and educational experience.

Cast:

Year - Presenter		Award Category		Result		Name
2005 - Academy Awards		Best Documentary		Winner		Luc Jacquet

"MARCH OF THE PENGUINS makes a compelling case for celebrating the glory of all living things..." -- Lisa Schwarzbaum , (Entertainment Weekly)

"The feeling that these creatures are brave, indomitable souls surviving unimaginable physical hardship for the sake of their families is inescapable." -- Stephen Holden , (New York Times)

"[A]s uplifting as anything you will find in theaters as the birds' struggle encompasses all the elements of great drama." -- Kevin Crust , (Los Angeles Times)

"A cinematic experience that is dazzlingly different from anything currently in theaters, MARCH OF THE PENGUINS captivates with its straightforward but powerful story of dogged determination, survival against harsh odds and sacrifice." -- Claudia Puig , (USA Today)

"[A] wondrous look at the emperor penguins of Antarctica....Morgan Freeman provides the sturdy narration." -- Peter Travers , (Rolling Stone)

"This is a story about biological imperative, albeit an extraordinary and impressive one, superbly filmed under the most extreme conditions." -- Philip Kemp , (Sight and Sound)

3 stars out of 4 -- "[B]est appreciated on its simplest level. That is, as a nature documentary. One with neat-looking penguins who exist in a realm that has very little to do with humankind." -- Kelly Borgeson , (Premiere)

"[A] surprising, endearing and cuddly underdog triumph..." -- Chris Roberts , (Uncut)

Ranked #25 in Rolling Stone's "Top 25 DVDs Of 2005' -- "[M]agnificently filmed....Popular favorite for the year's best documentary." -- Peter Travers , (Rolling Stone)

3 stars out of 5 -- "Certainly it's a gripping tale....Taking us to a place many will never visit, a naturallly spectacular icy wasteland that plummets to 80 degrees below zero." -- David Richardson , (Ultimate DVD)

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