March of the Penguins (aka La Marche de l’empereur)
Starring: Morgan Freeman (narrator)
Each year, the emperor penguins walk over 70 miles on snow and ice to the same breeding grounds they were all born on (no explanation why, probably genetically wired that way). During their journey, they must endure extreme cold weather, so not every penguin will survive. Once they reach the breeding grounds, each penguin finds a mate. When the mother hatches an egg, she keeps it under the fold of her skin to keep it warm. She then transfers the egg carefully (if left out in the cold for a few seconds too long, the egg will freeze, so some eggs do not survive) to the father who then keeps it tucked under the fold of his skin to keep it warm as well. The mothers must travel back over 70 miles to find food in the water while the fathers huddle together with their eggs to keep warm from the harsh winter storms. When the mothers reach the waters, they feast on fishes to bring back to their chicks and dodge underwater predators as well. In the meantime, the eggs hatch and the chicks are born. The fathers must continue to keep them under their skin as the chicks are still vulnerable from the cold. Some chicks die from the cold and/or hunger. The fathers are also hungry as well, having not eaten for over 4 months. Some of the mothers finally return (some eaten by predators or died during the journey). The fathers bond with their chicks before leaving (parents will recognize their chicks by the sound of their cries) to find food for themselves, and the mothers take over caring for their chicks. Now that the mothers are full of food, the chicks can finally eat as well. When the chicks are old enough to be left alone, the mothers leave for the waters again to feed. The fathers soon return to feed and bond with their chicks. Some chicks get preyed upon by flying predators. When winter approaches again, the parents eventually leave their chicks for good. The chicks go into the waters, where they will live for 4 years. By the 5th year, they will join the annual migration to the breeding grounds and continue the endless cycle of creating life.
One of the most beautiful documentary films I’ve seen. The fact that director Luc Jaquet and his crew went to the Antarctica to film this documentary under the harshest weather conditions is unimaginable and simply amazing. The film illustrates how everyday life is a struggle for the emperor penguins. Every year they walk over 70 miles on ice and snow to their breeding grounds to mate and reproduce. Once the mother lays her egg, she transfers the egg to the father (one of my favorite scenes!) who keeps it under the fold of his skin to keep it warm, so that the mother can walk back 70 miles to get food for herself and the chick. When the chicks are born, both parents take responsibility in raising, feeding, and protecting the chick until it learns to be on its own. Another breathtaking scene is the underwater footage of the mother penguins feeding on fish and the predators feeding on the penguins. Simply a masterpiece!
Want to know more?
Read more about this film at The Internet Movie Database.
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