We really do live on a beautiful blue planet and one’s heart leaps up when one see us spinning silently in space in 3D. What a way to begin an IMAX documentary about the watery blue of our world and the giants that roam free in it. HUMPBACK WHALES IN 3D is playing at IMAX Darling Harbour and it is an engrossing, eye- opening insight into a world hidden from all but a select few. This is a short film, 39 minutes, but the images are rich, the audio is state of the art, and the message is gently placed.
The images are truly astonishing. Brilliantly filmed and edited so that the action is mostly in the centre and lower frame to reduce head bobbing, we see the whales both below the water and above as they are breaching. But when a 40 ton, 50 foot Humpback rises vertically to the surface and the audience moves as one to follow its path to the top of the screen, there is a communal intake of breath. This is why IMAX is the perfect place to see this film.
Director, Greg MacGillivray (Everest) has not unnecessarily humanised these huge creatures, he has allowed the vision to speak for itself. The whales are captured in a variety of situations. Peacefully floating below, fighting for female attention by swimming fast for 5 hours or clinging to Mum as a newborn. Especially compelling is the sequence that shows the Humpbacks working in a disciplined team to dive below a school of krill and fish, then swirl and bubble to create a net to drive their dinner to the surface. They have assigned roles and communicate with each other to complete the task.
The audio track on this film really lets the audience into their world of communication. Dr Fred Sharp has studied Humpback Whales in Alaska for 25 summers and can recognise them by their song. We can hear and understand their vocalisation as they are guided through the snorts and whoops and barks, each having a place in the music. Hearing those noises rip through the speakers immerses the audience even further into the 3D vision
Loud and engaging , that thump when they hit the water after breaching is visceral but Ewan McGregor’s narration is mellow and lyrical. New York City Indie Rock band American Authors song Best Day Of My Life is cut selectively into the non-narrative vision and provides a suitable emotive backdrop for the images. There is sadness too, as we are made aware that some of the distinct voices that scientists have been hearing for years are becoming far less frequent.
Messages are delivered in this way. Factual and self- evident. Before the King of Tonga banned whaling there were fewer than 50 mature females. There are now over 2000 and the whale tourism that has resulted is respresents an economic boom for the small island nation.
We see the brave rescuers who cut away entangled whales and hear what we can do about it. The film will have strong resonances with younger viewers and there are good teacher resources on the IMAX website. The facts and figures in the film are accessible to children too.
An intriguing piece of trivia is that whales eat the equivalent of 1000 hamburgers a day. There was much to learn…The flukes of the Humpback Whales, the ragged section of their broad tails, are as individual as a fingerprint. Amazing.
The film is wonderfully rendered and a joy to experience. In the final shots we are encouraged to look into the eyes of these great creatures and the call to preserve them and their environment is palpable. When I got home I straight away logged onto http://www.oneworldoneocean/humpbacks to see how I could help.
HUMPBACK WHALES IN 3D is currently playing at the IMAX, Darling Harbour.
For further information visit https://www.imax.com.au/films/humpback-whales-3d/