Showing Today:
3:00 pm: Saving Otter 501 and Shark Girl
3:15 pm: Bluebird Man and Parrot Confidential
5:00 pm: Lion Guardians and Congo: Deep and Dangerous
5:15 pm: La Soufriere and Flying Doctors of East Africa
7:00 pm: Pride and On A River in Ireland
7:15 pm: Great Zebra Exodus and Winning the War
Saving Otter 501
Mark Shelley, Bob Talbot, USA, 55 min.
On a typical late summer day a baby sea otter washes up on the beach in Monterey, California, hungry, lost, injured. For decades marine biologist Karl Mayer and his small staff have worked unceasingly to bring this keystone species back from the brink of extinction so it can play its important role in the local marine environment. This is the story of the Monterey Bay Aquarium’s 501st attempt to save an orphan otter. From her discovery as a stranded newborn pup crying on the beach through her rehabilitation in secret roof tanks atop the Aquarium, we follow as Otter 501 learns how to dive, hunt, eat, and fend for herself in the wild, where survival is a long shot at best. Produced by Nature/WNET.
Shark Girl
Gisela Kaufmann, Australia, 58 min.
Conservationist, filmmaker, activist, delinquent – 19-year-old Madison Stewart has been called many things, but to her friends she’s simply ‘shark girl’. Growing up on the Great Barrier Reef, Madison soon realized the creature she loves most is disappearing fast. Driven by fear, every year up to 80,000 sharks are killed in this UNESCO World Heritage Site for cheap steaks and luxury shark fin soup. Turning passion into action, she sets out to stop the slaughter and shatter our perception of these alleged man-eaters. SHARK GIRL is a powerful wake-up call and a moving record of one determined young woman to save the animal she loves most, but most others would like to see dead.
Bluebird Man
Matthew Podolsky, Neil Paprocki, USA, 27 min.
Bluebird Man is the story of 91-year-old Al Larson, a self-taught conservation hero who has committed the last 35 years of his life to saving North America’s bluebirds. Breathtaking scenery, intimate conversations and stunning footage of all three species of bluebird create a powerful film with the goal of inspiring our next generation of citizen scientists.
Parrot Confidential
Allison Argo, USA 55min
Exotic beauty, outrageous intelligence and remarkably advanced language skills have made parrots one of the world’s most popular pets. But unlike dogs and cats, parrots have not been domesticated. Their ear-shattering squawks and unpredictable behavior are designed for the rainforest, not for captivity. Sooner or later, some owners come to the conclusion that they have taken on a more difficult challenge than they can handle, and turn to overcrowded shelters and sanctuaries for help. From the suburbs of our own country to the wilds of Costa Rica, parrot owners, rescuers, breeders, and biologists involved in conservation programs share their stories and the stories of their parrots in this bittersweet and unforgettable film about the difficulties and consequences of keeping and caring for parrots as pets. Produced by Nature/WNET.
Lion Guardians
Kire Godal, Kenya, 19 min.
Made for the Lion Guardians program this film is to help stop the rapid decline of lions. Just over 60 years ago there were estimated to be more than half a million lions in Africa. Today, fewer than 30,000 remain. Lion Guardians is a unique approach that relies on and preserves the cultural traditions of pastoralist communities in Africa, while at the same time actively engaging young warriors in protecting lions rather than killing them. This film is shown to communities that live with lions to introduce them to the Lion Guardians program, explain how it works, and to encourage them to participate and save their lion populations.
Made for the Lion Guardians program this film is to help stop the rapid decline of lions. Just over 60 years ago there were estimated to be more than half a million lions in Africa. Today, fewer than 30,000 remain. Lion Guardians is a unique approach that relies on and preserves the cultural traditions of pastoralist communities in Africa, while at the same time actively engaging young warriors in protecting lions rather than killing them. This film is shown to communities that live with lions to introduce them to the Lion Guardians program, explain how it works, and to encourage them to participate and save their lion populations.
Congo- Deep and Dangerous
Thomas Behrend, Germany, 48 min
The Congo: more powerful and dangerous than any other river, yet a sanctuary and home for some of the most wonderful creatures on our Earth. ‘Wild Congo’ follows the second largest river on Earth from its source in Zambia on its journey through marshland areas and rainforests. The Congo’s journey stretches over a distance of 5000 kilometres, starting as a small stream and developing into a raging river that engulfs everything in its path. Biologists consider it to be the cradle of evolution: an experimental location for the emergence of new species! The shoebill, elephant fish and blind eel are just a few examples of the wildlife of the Congo and its astounding ability to adapt.
La Soufrière
Werner Herzog, 1977, West Germany, 31 min.
As 75,000 people were being evacuated from the island of Guadeloupe in 1976, Werner Herzog characteristically flew in to film the predicted eruption of ‘La Soufrière’ volcano and find the one peasant reported to have remained behind.
The Flying Doctors of East Africa
Werner Herzog, West Germany, 1970, 45 min.
A documentary on the work of an independent group of physicians in remote areas of East Africa. A film about the differing mindsets of African patients and Western medicine, a difference that calls for a new way of thinking.
Pride
Roshan Patel, USA/India, 14 min.
Pride explores the cultural relationship between residents of Gujarat, India and the last remaining population of Asiatic Lions in the world. With fewer than 50 lions living in the wild at the turn of the 20th century, rural communities started working with the government to create a haven for this top predator and are successfully securing this animal’s place in the ecosystem.
On a River in Ireland
John Murray, Ireland, 58 min.
On a River in Ireland follows Colin Stafford Johnson on a journey along the River Shannon – Ireland’s greatest geographical landmark and the longest river in Ireland and Britain.For 340km, the river carves its way through the heart of the country, almost splitting the country in two. On its journey, the Shannon passes through a huge palette of rural landscapes, where on little known backwaters wild animals and plants still thrive as almost nowhere else in Ireland. The film follows the river from dawn to dusk over four seasons capturing it’s ever changing moors and exploring the countless waterways, islands and lakes that make up the entire river system.
Great Zebra Exodus
USA, 55 min.
When thunderclouds begin to gather over the Kalahari of Botswana each year, 20,000 zebras get itchy feet. As the first fat raindrops hit the dust, southern Africa’s biggest animal migration gets underway. In a never-ending quest for grass and water, the striped herds undertake an annual epic trek across the vast lunar landscape of Makgadikgadi Pans of the Kalahari. The story of this spectacular annual migration is told through the eyes of a single zebra family: a stallion, his three mares and their offspring. Documenting their journey across this otherworldly landscape, the film reveals their trials and triumphs as well as the fascinating social bonds that hold zebra families together.
Winning the War
Mark Strickson, South Africa, 25min
Poaching is big business with rhino horn now worth more than gold. The only thing standing between South Africa’s animals and possible extinction is a new breed of anti-poaching rangers – prepared to lay their lives on the line for Africa’s wildlife.
The six-part series takes a unique look at the issue of poaching through the eyes of trainee rangers as some leave home for the first time, enter a brutal world of military training and finally head to the frontline of Africa’s Wildlife Warzone. Winning the War is a featured episode from within the Wildlife Warzone series.