This multiple award-winning documentary depicts the emperor penguins' devotion and determination to create new life year after year.
“They have wings, but cannot fly. They’re birds that think they’re fish. And every year, they embark on a nearly impossible journey to find a mate.” So begins the annual adventure of the emperor penguin and a truly amazing documentary that chronicles this species’ genetically programmed quest to find a mate and bring a new chick into the flock.
Narrated by Morgan Freeman and directed by Luc Jacquet, March of the Penguins (Official, IMDB) was presented in the United States by Warner Independent Pictures and National Geographic Feature Films. Debuting at the Sundance Film Festival on January 21, 2005 and released in France the next week, La Marche De L'Empereur — the documentary’s alternate title — became the second most successful documentary released in North America, grossing about US $77 million in the United States and Canada. It was beaten only by Michael Moore’s Fahrenheit 9/11 (Official, IMDB), which is the highest-grossing documentary of all time. March of the Penguin’s success is a testament to its accurate and amazing depiction of the emperor penguins’ annual quest — a quest that will take them hundreds of miles across Antarctica — to find the perfect mate and start a family.
Each March, the end of Antarctic summer, the penguin colony braves the freezing cold temperatures, icy winds, and deep, treacherous waters to trek to their breeding ground as they have done for more than one thousand years. All the while, the penguins risk starvation and attack by dangerous predators to propagate the species. At summer’s beginning, the breeding ground is only a few hundred meters away from the open water where the penguins can feed. However, by the end of summer, when the colony begins its journey, the breeding ground is more than 100 kilometers (60 miles) away from the closest open water. In order to reach their destination, the penguins must walk this great distance, occasionally sliding on their bellies to rest their tired feet.
Once at the breeding ground, each penguin seeks a mate. No one understands how this process works, but once paired, the penguins are monogamous within each breeding season. What ensues after the successful pairing is a magical wonder of nature and the female lays one 450-gram (1-pound) egg. With the cooperation of both parents, the female transfers the lone egg to the male so she can return to the sea, now even farther away, to feed and obtain extra food for her chick. While the female is away, the males huddle together in a large pack, fighting temperatures around -62 degrees Celsius (-80 degrees Fahrenheit) to keep warm so they can incubate their eggs. If successful, the eggs will have hatched by the time the females return and the pair trade duties yet again so the father can return to the sea for nourishment.
March of the Penguins is a beautiful representation of the emperor penguin’s life. Through brilliant filmmaking, breathtaking cinematography, and exquisite narration, this documentary is sure to charm anyone who watches it. Winner of the 2006 Academy Award for Best Feature Documentary, March of the Penguins will be enjoyed for years and years to come.
Release Date: July 24, 2005
Running Time: 1 hr. 20 min.
MPAA Rating: G
Directed by: Luc Jacquet
Produced by: Yves Darondeau, Christophe Lioud, Emmanuel Priou
Produced in: France
Awards: 2006 Academy Award for Best Feature Documentary; 2006 American Cinema Editors Award for Best Edited Documentary Film; 2006 Broadcast Film Critics Association Award for Best Documentary; 2006 Character and Morality in Entertainment Award; 2006 César Award (France) for Best Sound; 2006 Golden Trailer Award for Best Documentary; 2006 Golden Trailer Award for Best Voice Over; 2005 Las Vegas Film Critics Society Award for Best Documentary; 2005 National Board of Review for Best Documentary; 2005 Southeastern Film Critics Association Award for Best Documentary
