March of the Penguins
March of the Penguins
A lot of young people dislike documentaries. They find them boring and dull. I would say that I was one of those people, too. However, March of the Penguins is one documentary that you will love. While it is a non-fictional film about the life of emperor penguins in Antarctica, it is told in such a way that you cannot help but fall in love with the penguins.
This 85-minute film, narrated mainly by Morgan Freeman, begins by introducing itself as a love story. As the film progresses, you can see the truth in this statement. The touching tale of how the emperor penguins brave the harshness of the Antarctic in order to bring new life into the world is as real and heart warming as any other.
The emperor penguins must make a long 70-mile march from their home in the sea to the nesting grounds, where the ice is thick enough to ensure it won’t break through. There, the penguins, who practice serial monogamy, find their mates for the year, and begin the breeding process. When the female lays the egg, she must transfer it to the father, as he is the one who must take care of it while the female makes the long journey back to the sea to feed. This is one of nature’s greatest role reversals, and it is touching to see the father care for the egg and protect it with such love. When she gets back, it is the father’s turn to return to sea, to gain back the weight he lost over 4 months of complete starvation. The chick is finally born, and the mother and father take turns caring for it, and going back and forth to the sea to feed and bring extra food for the baby. This continues till spring, when the paren'ts can finally leave the chick to fend for itself.
Throughout it all, we get to see the bitter winters of the South Pole, the cruelty of predators, the starvation the paren'ts must go through for months at a time, the struggles that the penguins face as they encounter nature’s obstacles, and ultimately, the very human-like love and tenderness with which they nourish their egg and chick. The similarities between humans and penguins are apparen't throughout the film, and in fact, humans could learn a few things from the penguin society.
March of the Penguins has won numerous awards, including an Academy Award for Documentary Feature, and has been translated in many languages. It is truly a poignant story about nature’s way of ensuring life, told in such a way that it is enjoyable for all.
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