This small-scale documentary from filmmaker Judy Irving became something of a minor sensation upon its release in 2004, attracting moviegoers almost solely by word of mouth. Made with beguiling simplicity, the heartwarming film explores the principal passion of Mark Bittner, a struggling musician living in a rundown San Francisco cottage, where he looks after
Nature - Page 12
The Wild Parrots of Telegraph Hill
Life in the Undergrowth
Take a trip through an amazing universe without even stepping off of the ground as host David Attenborough explores the lives of the planet’s most fascinating insects in a documentary that utilizes advanced technology to prove that in the wondrous world of nature, size is but a matter of perspective. From swarms of desert locusts to living, breathing mountains
Baraka
Named after a Sufi word that translates roughly as breath of life or blessing, Baraka is Ron Fricke’s impressive follow-up to Godfrey Reggio’s non-verbal documentary film Koyaanisqatsi. Fricke was cinematographer and collaborator on Reggio’s film, and for Baraka he struck out on his own to polish and expand the photographic techniques used on Koyaanisqatsi
March of the Penguins
One of the year’s most unexpectedly moving films, this French-made documentary about the mating cycle of emperor penguins took moviegoers by surprise and became a box-office blockbuster in the process. Small wonder: March of the Penguins is cinema vérité at its purest, an unsentimental yet intimate depiction of one of nature’s true marvels.
Coral Reef Adventure
IMAX director Greg MacGillivray’s 2003 film, Coral Reef Adventure, follows the exploits and crusades of the husband and wife underwater filmmaking duo of Howard and Michelle Hall as they embark on a ten-month expedition of the world’s most vibrant and endangered coral reefs.Beginning at the Great Barrier Reef off the Australian coast, the Halls explore the vast
Deep Sea
The beauty and mystery of life beneath the surface of the ocean is brought to the screen in this documentary, shot in 3-D and exhibited in the high-definition IMAX film format. Shot in the ocean depths off the coasts of Baja, the Caribbean, and North Carolina, Deep Sea depicts the complexity of the underwater ecosystem, as some sea creatures live in cooperation while
Galapagos
Follow the filmmakers from the Smithsonian Institute on a visual journey through the lush Pacific Ocean paradise that is home to some of the most precious flora and fauna on the planet. Scattered across the equator, this largely unexplored series of volcanic islands is host to a stunning array of endangered species that remain virtually unknown outside of the
The Life of Birds
Another landmark series from the produces of Blue Planet: Seas of Life. This is the definitive series on the most colorful, popular and perfectly adapted creatures on Earth. The Life Of Birds traverses the glove, exploring 42 countries and examining over 300 species using infrared, slow motion and computer enhanced effects. David Attenborough, one of the world’s
MicroCosmos
Utilizing special macroscopic photographic techniques, filmmakers Claude Nuridsany and Marie Perennou created this fascinating and visually spectacular look at the hidden worlds in the life cycle of an ordinary meadow in France. When seen through the lens of Nuridsany and Perennou’s cameras, insects become gigantic beasts, blades of grass turn into towering
Grizzly Man
For 13 years, Timothy Treadwell spent his summers on the Alaskan Peninsula, living among wild bears and, for the last five years, videotaping his life there. His winters were spent touring elementary schools and making television appearances, in an effort to educate people about the plight of the animals he loved. This continued until October 5, 2003, when Treadwell