Winged Migration (2001)

Documentary on the migratory patterns of birds, shot over the course of three years on all seven continents.

Directors:

Jacques Perrin, Jacques Cluzaud (co-director)

Writers:

Jean Dorst (collaboration), Stéphane Durand

Stars:

Jacques Perrin, Philippe Labro

Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 5 wins & 14 nominations.

Cast

Credited cast:
Philippe Labro	...	Narrator (English version)
Jacques Perrin	...	Narrator (voice)

Storyline

This documentary follows several species of migratory birds over a four year filming period. These birds travel several hundreds if not thousands of miles toward the equator in the autumn, and make the return journey to their higher latitude summer homes in the spring, always taking the same route, using the natural compasses of the universe, the stars, to find their way. Some species, like the arctic tern, even fly from pole to pole. These long and often torturous treks are a matter of survival, to live in a hospitable climate and find sources of food. With the exception of migratory penguins, travel over oceans is especially difficult as the birds have little refuge unless there is something floating on the water, such as a ship, on which to land. Otherwise they must continue flying until they reach land. Some will not survive the migration due to predators, including man, illness or injury. Although the migrations themselves are done as a community, once the birds reach their ...

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Plot Keywords:

migration | arctic | ocean | flight | bad weather | 

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Genres:

Documentary

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Certificate:

G

Details

Official Sites:

BAC Films (French) Official site [United States]

Country:

France Germany Switzerland Spain Italy

Language:

French

Release Date:

29 August 2003 (USA)

Also Known As:

Winged Migration

Filming Locations:

Monument Valley, Arizona, USA

Box Office

Budget:

FRF 160,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

$2,402,605 (France), 14 December 2001

Opening Weekend USA:

$33,128, 20 April 2003, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$10,762,178, 14 December 2003

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$20,217,080, 6 November 2003

Company Credits

Production Co:

Galatée Films, France 2 Cinéma, France 3 Cinéma

Technical Specs

Runtime:

98 min 81 min

Sound Mix:

DTS-ES Dolby Digital EX

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Jacques Perrin says in his commentary that his team tried to include emperor penguins (Aptenodytes forsteri) in the film, but weather conditions interfered, so they had to be satisfied with king penguins (Aptenodytes patagonicus) instead. Some years later, the makers of March of the Penguins (2005) succeeded in making an emperor penguin movie.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Narrator: The story of bird migration is the story of promise - a promise to return.

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Connections

Referenced in Phénomania: La marche de l'empereur (2005)

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Soundtracks

La Traversee
("The Crossing")
Music Composed and orchestrated by Bruno Coulais
(P) & © 2001 Galatée Films

User Reviews

Birds of a feather......

This magnificent documentary was a delight. It is a rare film to enjoy as it shows how these amazing creatures migrate from place to place in such incredible fashion.

The colors and the backgrounds behind the different species are photographed with such an eye to detail that one wonders the miracle of the technology behind it. One thing that never ceased to surprise me was the way most birds are shown flying in perfect formation as the camera seems to be part of the flock and it's just going along for the ride.

Contrary to what other people have experienced in watching this film, time practically "flew" for me as it was never boring, even though we are constantly looking at birds that are somehow similar doing the same thing over and over.

It's surprising that this documentary has been shown in art houses to grown ups, mainly. It is a film that would be suitable for children instead of other kinds of violent cartoons, or films that emphasize the brutal force in humans.

I'll take the birds, anytime!