Recently, I had a chance to see two of the more visually incredible things ever projected onto a massive IMAX screen in recent years while conducting another Enviro Dad Review – the sight and sound of close to a billion monarch butterflies set amongst a forest of tall fir trees high atop a Mexican mountain, and Canadian acting legend Gordon Pinsent without a single spec of gray hair.
Both opportunities were encased within the 45 minute time frame of Flight of the Butterflies, a new documentary film, captured in IMAX which has just commenced an extended run at the Shoppers Drug Mart OMNIMAX Theatre, located at the Ontario Science Centre in Toronto. The film, which was first released in the fall of 2012 will also be available at hundreds of IMAX cinemas around the world.
Flight of the Butterflies is a visually breathtaking piece of cinematography, and tells the story of the remarkable Monarch Butterfly as well as the detective story of the citizen scientists led by Canadian scientist Dr. Fred Urquhart who collectively sought to discover where the monarchs disappeared to each fall.
The film is based on a true Canadian story and immerses audiences in a journey of perseverance that spans thousands of miles, three countries and several generations. Using specialized cinema equipment the producers of the film tracked real monarchs in ways never done before.
Each autumn, the monarchs leave Canada and the northern United States to brave the elements and fly to a Mexican winter haven. The film allows audiences to discover a truly spectacular sight: hundreds of millions of live butterflies – offspring of their parents — set to make their journey back. In addition, the film chronicles the passionate quest of Dr. Fred Urquhart and his wife Norah, who over three decades inspired thousands of citizen scientists to tag and track the butterflies and bring their fragile life cycle into the public and environmental spotlight.
Flight of the Butterflies stars Canadian acting legend Gordon Pinsent
The film is produced by Canadian Jonathan Barker of SK Films, along with co-executive producer and co-writer Wendy MacKeigan. It was directed and co-written by Mike Slee and stars the iconic Gordon Pinsent as well as fellow Canadian actors Patricia Phillips and Shaun Benson. The film is also narrated by Megan Follows, she of Anne of Green Gables fame.
The monarch butterfly is a true marvel of nature. Weighing less than a penny, it makes one of the longest migrations on Earth, with pinpoint navigational accuracy, to a place it has never been. Moviegoers will see inside a chrysalis captured for the first time thanks to the innovative use of MRI & micro CT scans of the insects.
On May 6th, 1998, Fred and Norah Urquhart were jointly recipients of the Order of Canada and were credited with “one of the greatest natural history discoveries of our time.” Fred died in 2002 at the age of 90.
Sadly, the fate of monarchs has changed since his groundbreaking discovery of the monarch’s migration in 1976, when there were an estimated one billion monarch butterflies. That number has declined by more than half, a fact that has alarmed nature lovers worldwide. In 2008, UNESCO declared the monarch butterfly reserve in Mexico a World Heritage Site. Monarch butterflies depend upon milkweed and milkweed habitats for their survival, both of which have been greatly reduced.
During a luncheon press conference following the media preview screening, the producers of the film spoke of how the experience of making the film was a huge eye opener to the struggles that the monarch faces. However, unlike problems such as climate change which has been the subject of IMAX feature films in the past, the solution to help restore monarchs is quite simple. The producers noted that by planting milkweed in your garden, you instantly provide the habitat for monarchs that are dwindling in supply.
Misinformation is also a problem as Wendy Mackeigan told the media that some municipalities have bylaws in place that prohibit milkweed from being planted. “It’s biggest problem is that it has the world WEED in it’s name”, she said. “Milkweed isn’t a weed at all, and by prohibiting their growth, we are placing the monarchs at great risk.”
Mr. Pinsent was also on hand for the press luncheon and the screening, and shared how he had never experience anything in his entire life that could compare to what he felt when he first entered the winter resting grounds of the monarch. “It’s something that goes beyond words” he said, and then humorously added “It was also at that moment when I truly realized that I wasn’t the star of this film.”
After seeing Mr. Pinsent on the massive OMNIMAX with his hair and moustache coloured a natural brown, in order to accurately resemble that of Dr. Urquhart at an earlier time in his life, I couldn’t resist the temptation of asking him directly what he thought of seeing himself appear without a spec of gray hair on such a massive screen. After both he and the other members of the media stopped laughing, he paused for a moment and simply said “It looked really good.” His finger point and wink of the eye at me afterwards suggested that perhaps I covered an angle of the movie that nobody else had to this point…but one that was equally appreciated.
For more information about the film, as well as showtimes and admission prices, visit www.ontariosciencecentre.ca.
Eric,
Thanks for the heads-up on this – definitely now on my “must see” list.
You might also be interested to know that celebrated American novelist Barbara Kingsolver has just written a novel called “Flight Behaviour” It’s a fictional but very sobering account of how the monarchs have been thrown off course due to climate change. Beautifully written and quite compelling.
Great article, Eric. I too really enjoyed this film production. Having been to the overwintering sites in Mexico on four trips the past decade, I had tears in my eyes during much of the film. I hope families will take advantage of any chance to see the film while it’s on the big screen. We tend to assume we’ve always known these natural history bits but this was only “discovered” to science in the early 70s. So it’s a great way to show children that there’s still a lot waiting to be discovered and explored – and most importantly, protected.
Thanks also for your work and your witness in protecting Mother Eaarth.
Thanks Ina for the feedback and comments. Please keep up the great work being an advocate for our children’s future as well! Cheers.