neumu [ cinematronic ]




	Winged Migration
	Jacques Perrin Jacques Perrin 2001		His previous nature movie "Microcosmos" was a miraculous close-up of the kaleidoscopic beauty and drama in the insect kingdom, so the bar is set high for director Jacques Perrin's "Winged Migration." Perrin, who's best known as an actor ("Brotherhood of the Wolf") and producer ("Z"), also narrates "Winged Migration" — a visually lyrical, logistically remarkable documentary about the migrating patterns and instinctual behavior of various types of birds. The mammoth size of the endeavor must have been intimidating; the birds' seasonal sojourns take them over thousands of miles. To make "Winged Migration," five crews, with 14 cinematographers and 17 pilots, painstakingly followed and recorded the journeys of diverse flocks of birds as they soared through the sky. The crews traversed 40 countries and seven continents. What they achieved is extraordinary. Telephoto lenses, agile aircraft, opportunistic drive and sheer luck enabled Perrin and his associates to amass footage that lets the audience fly right alongside the movie's avian subjects. The lack of a proper plot doesn't diminish the drama, which includes a look at the impact of pollution on the birds' natural order.