The Crimson Wing: Mystery of the Flamingos (2008)

The mysterious lives of flamingos are captured on film with a birds-eye view of the animals living in Africa.

Directors:

Matthew Aeberhard, Leander Ward

Writer:

Melanie Finn

Stars:

Zabou Breitman, Mariella Frostrup, Karoline Herfurth

1 win & 1 nomination.

Cast

Credited cast:
Zabou Breitman	...	Narrator (French version) (voice)
Mariella Frostrup	...	Narrator (voice)
Karoline Herfurth	...	Narrator (German version) (voice)

Storyline

In a remote and forgotten wilderness, one of nature's last great mysteries unfolds: the birth, life and death of a million crimson-winged flamingos. Against a dramatic backdrop of never-before filmed landscapes, these secretive birds struggle to survive and prevail over danger and fate. This inspiring story, set in the extraordinary 'otherworld' of Lake Natron in northern Tanzania, the cradle of humankind, reminds us: here on earth is a universe waiting to be discovered.

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Plot Keywords:

flamingo | bird in title | animal in title | 

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Taglines:

One lake, a million birds, an incredible story

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Genres:

Documentary

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Certificate:

G

Details

Official Sites:

Official Site Official site [Japan]

Country:

USA UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

25 September 2009 (UK)

Also Known As:

Auf purpurnen Schwingen - Das Geheimnis der Flamingos

Filming Locations:

Lake Natron, Tanzania

Company Credits

Production Co:

Natural Light Films, Kudos Film and Television, Kudos Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

78 min

Sound Mix:

DTS Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The first film release from Disney's wildlife arm, Disneynature.

User Reviews

Colourful flamingo documentary with tragedy in abundance

Like MARCH OF THE PENGUINS, THE CRIMSON WING is a nature documentary focused on a single subject, produced by Walt Disney Studios of all people. Thankfully this isn't a twee or sentimental type account of the material, rather a solid, fact-focused documentary packed full of gorgeous photography of the birds.

It turns out that Lesser Flamingos are the birds behind the myth of the Phoenix, and the correlation of their lifecycle to that of the legendary bird rising from the ashes is an engaging one. But this is a film that offers more to the casual viewer, with plenty of tragedy and chaos along the way. There are the inevitably tear-jerking scenes involving the chicks that didn't make it, and such moments are tragic beyond belief.

THE CRIMSON WING offers strong commentary by experienced narrator Mariella Frostrup and a lean, mean, running time which excises extraneous material from the narrative. Best of all, though, it has fantastic cinematography that helps to fuel a colourful, engaging and thorough exploration of the topic.