March of the Penguins
Brief Synopsis
Cast & Crew
Luc Jacquet
Romance Bohringer
Charles Berling
Jules Sitruk
Fred Seldon
Morgan Freeman
Film Details
Technical Specs
Synopsis
Each winter, alone in the pitiless ice deserts of Antarctica, deep in the most inhospitable terrain on Earth, a truly remarkable journey takes place as it has done for millennia. Emperor penguins in their thousands abandon the deep blue security of their ocean home and clamber onto the frozen ice to begin their long journey into a region so bleak, so extreme, it supports no other wildlife at this time of year. In single file, the penguins march blinded by blizzards, buffeted by gale force winds. Guided by instinct, by the otherworldly radiance of the Southern Cross, they head unerringly for their traditional breeding ground where--after a ritual courtship of intricate dances and delicate maneuvering, accompanied by a cacophony of ecstatic song--they will pair off into monogamous couples and mate. The females remain long enough only to lay a single egg. Once this is accomplished, exhausted by weeks without nourishment, they begin their return journey across the ice-field to the fish-filled seas. The male emperors are left behind to guard and hatch the precious eggs, which they cradle at all times on top of their feet. After two long months during which the males eat nothing, the eggs begin to hatch. Once they have emerged into their ghostly white new world, the chicks can not survive for long on their fathers' limited food reserves. If their mothers are late returning from the ocean with food, the newly-hatched young will die. Once the families are reunited, the roles reverse, the mothers remaining with their new young while their mates head, exhausted and starved, for the sea, and food. While the adults fish, the chicks face the ever-present threat of attack by prowling giant petrels. As the weather grows warmer and the ice floes finally begin to crack and melt, the adults will repeat their arduous journey countless times, marching many hundreds of miles over some of the most treacherous territory on Earth, until the chicks are ready to take their first faltering dive into the deep blue waters of the Antarctic.
Director
Luc Jacquet
Cast
Romance Bohringer
Charles Berling
Jules Sitruk
Fred Seldon
Morgan Freeman
Crew
Willy Allen
Catherine Athon
Jean-christophe Barret
Tom Calderaro
Martine Cardet
Kevin E Carpenter
Laurent Chalet
Olivier Chiavassa
Rose Corrigan
Arnaud Damaz
Yves Darondeau
Debbi Datz-pyle
Francois De Riberolles
Pascal Dedeye
Valentine Duley
Sabine Emiliani
Brice Ferre
Emilie Ferret
Eric Ferret
Michel Fessler
Ilann Girard
Amandine Henrion
Luc Jacquet
Luc Jacquet
Scott A Jennings
Gerard Lamps
Samuel Lehmer
Samuel Lehmer
Kali Ligertwood
Christophe Lioud
Daniel Longuein
Larry Mah
Jerome Maison
Jerome Maison
Patrick Marchand
Catherine Marconnet
Laura Mclean
Joyce Menger
Frederic Moreau
Jean-rene Nebot
Bruno Patin
Steve Pederson
Emmanuel Priou
Laurent Quaglio
Philippe Reinaudo
Jordan Roberts
Laetitia Roure
Jeffrey Schindler
Emilie Simon
Alan Steinberger
Alex Wurman
Alex Wurman
Emmanuelle Zelez
Film Details
Technical Specs
Award Wins
Best Documentary Feature
Quotes
Trivia
Miscellaneous Notes
Winner of the 2005 Eddie Award for Best Edited Documentary by the American Cinema Editors.
Winner of the Audience Award for Best International Feature at the 2005 Los Angeles Film Festival.
Released in United States Summer June 24, 2005
Released in United States on Video November 29, 2005
Released in United States 2005
Released in United States January 2005
Released in United States June 2005
Released in United States January 2006
Shown at London Film Festival (Gala Screening) October 19-November 3, 2005.
Shown at IFP/Los Angeles Film Festival (Ford Amphitheatre) June 16-26, 2005.
Shown at Palm Springs International Film Festival (New American Cinema) January 5-16, 2006.
Warner Independent Pictures and National Geographic Features acquired distribution rights at the 2005 Sundance Film Festival for a reported sum of $1 million.
Released in United States Summer June 24, 2005
Released in United States on Video November 29, 2005
Released in United States 2005 (Shown at London Film Festival (Gala Screening) October 19-November 3, 2005.)
Released in United States January 2005 (Shown at Sundance Film Festival (Special Screenings) January 20-30, 2005.)
Released in United States June 2005 (Shown at IFP/Los Angeles Film Festival (Ford Amphitheatre) June 16-26, 2005.)
Released in United States January 2006 (Shown at Palm Springs International Film Festival (New American Cinema) January 5-16, 2006.)
Winner of the 2005 award for Best Documentary by the National Board of Review (NBR).
