Arctic Tale
Encyclopedia
Arctic Tale is a 2007 documentary film
from the National Geographic Society
about the life cycle of a walrus
and her calf, and a polar bear
and her cubs, in a similar vein to the 2005 hit production March of the Penguins
, also from National Geographic. It was directed by Adam Ravetch and Sarah Robertson and is narrated by Queen Latifah
. The animal characters named in the movie, "Nanu" the female polar bear
and "Seela" the female walrus
, are based on composites of animals in their species, as noted at the end of the film.
and walrus
es are seen in many scenes together in this film, they usually do not cross paths. According to Ravetch, they were "told by scientists that it was very rare for a polar bear to attack a walrus
." But his experience made him "realize that polar bears and walruses have quite a lot in common," which is narrated as such in the film.
cubs play in the snow for a while until returning to their snow cave. The next day, the cubs start learning from their mother how to survive in the wild. One of the first things they find out by watching their mother is to stay away from grown male polar bears who are apt to kill them.
Seela is shown in the water just after birth with her mother and "Auntie" who helps protect the walrus
calf during her early life. For her first life lesson, Seela is taught how to hoist herself onto an ice floe from the water without any help except watching her mother do the same. During this time, Auntie watches for predators. When a male polar bear comes along and starts swimming towards the walruses, Seela and her mother try to get away from him, but must rely on Auntie's help to stave off the polar bear's attack.
Next for the polar bear cubs is learning how to hunt for food. Their mother teaches them how to hunt for a fur seal
by stamping down on the ice where she can smell the seal in a small cave underneath. After one failed attempt diving into the water, the mother gets the seal by this stamping method, so her cubs and a fox trailing them can eat the meat. Meanwhile, the young walrus feasts on clam
s for three days with the rest of its herd on a clam bed they might revisit in another five years.
The two animals then take similar paths. They have to travel because shorter winters mean ice that freezes later and melts sooner, making it harder to survive and eat as the water of Arctic Ocean
expands. Interestingly, male polar bears pose a threat to both of the main creatures, as the cubs have to navigate around him and the walruses try to get away from being prey. After Nanu's brother dies, Nanu has to leave her mother earlier than is customary because of the changing climate conditions, but she still has trouble finding food on her own. Eventually, she finds a male bear who has killed a walrus, identified as Auntie, and aggressively persuades the male to let her share on the feast.
Finally being attracted to animals of the opposite sex, Nanu finds a mate whom she is seen playing with on screen. Seela waits until a particular male walrus's song appeals to her before diving into the water to meet him. Arctic Tale closes with the cycle being complete, as Nanu gives birth to two cubs of her own and Seela gives birth to a female
calf.
makes allusions to how the rising temperature is affecting the animals in the ice kingdom. A message at the end of the animal footage notes that if the current trend continues, there will be no Arctic ice remaining by the year 2040. During the closing credits, several children talk about how global warming
has had a detrimental effect on the animals such as the ones in Arctic Tale as well as the people around the world. Afterwards, the National Geographic "green" website is shown on the screen, as National Geographic is a presenter of the film.
Documentary film
Documentary films constitute a broad category of nonfictional motion pictures intended to document some aspect of reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction or maintaining a historical record...
from the National Geographic Society
National Geographic Society
The National Geographic Society , headquartered in Washington, D.C. in the United States, is one of the largest non-profit scientific and educational institutions in the world. Its interests include geography, archaeology and natural science, the promotion of environmental and historical...
about the life cycle of a walrus
Walrus
The walrus is a large flippered marine mammal with a discontinuous circumpolar distribution in the Arctic Ocean and sub-Arctic seas of the Northern Hemisphere. The walrus is the only living species in the Odobenidae family and Odobenus genus. It is subdivided into three subspecies: the Atlantic...
and her calf, and a polar bear
Polar Bear
The polar bear is a bear native largely within the Arctic Circle encompassing the Arctic Ocean, its surrounding seas and surrounding land masses. It is the world's largest land carnivore and also the largest bear, together with the omnivorous Kodiak Bear, which is approximately the same size...
and her cubs, in a similar vein to the 2005 hit production March of the Penguins
March of the Penguins
March of the Penguins is a 2005 French nature documentary film. It was directed and co-written by Luc Jacquet, and co-produced by Bonne Pioche and the National Geographic Society. The film depicts the yearly journey of the emperor penguins of Antarctica...
, also from National Geographic. It was directed by Adam Ravetch and Sarah Robertson and is narrated by Queen Latifah
Queen Latifah
Dana Elaine Owens , better known by her stage name Queen Latifah, is an American singer, rapper, and actress. Her work in music, film and television has earned her a Golden Globe award, two Screen Actors Guild Awards, two Image Awards, a Grammy Award, six additional Grammy nominations, an Emmy...
. The animal characters named in the movie, "Nanu" the female polar bear
Polar Bear
The polar bear is a bear native largely within the Arctic Circle encompassing the Arctic Ocean, its surrounding seas and surrounding land masses. It is the world's largest land carnivore and also the largest bear, together with the omnivorous Kodiak Bear, which is approximately the same size...
and "Seela" the female walrus
Walrus
The walrus is a large flippered marine mammal with a discontinuous circumpolar distribution in the Arctic Ocean and sub-Arctic seas of the Northern Hemisphere. The walrus is the only living species in the Odobenidae family and Odobenus genus. It is subdivided into three subspecies: the Atlantic...
, are based on composites of animals in their species, as noted at the end of the film.
Background
The footage used in Arctic Tale was filmed over the span of 15 years by married filmmakers Adam Ravetch and Sarah Robertson, along with the National Geographic Natural History Unit and others who record wildlife. They compiled over 800 hours worth of clips of animals that are typically hard to catch on camera, such as the polar bear and walrus. Even though polar bearsPolar Bear
The polar bear is a bear native largely within the Arctic Circle encompassing the Arctic Ocean, its surrounding seas and surrounding land masses. It is the world's largest land carnivore and also the largest bear, together with the omnivorous Kodiak Bear, which is approximately the same size...
and walrus
Walrus
The walrus is a large flippered marine mammal with a discontinuous circumpolar distribution in the Arctic Ocean and sub-Arctic seas of the Northern Hemisphere. The walrus is the only living species in the Odobenidae family and Odobenus genus. It is subdivided into three subspecies: the Atlantic...
es are seen in many scenes together in this film, they usually do not cross paths. According to Ravetch, they were "told by scientists that it was very rare for a polar bear to attack a walrus
Walrus
The walrus is a large flippered marine mammal with a discontinuous circumpolar distribution in the Arctic Ocean and sub-Arctic seas of the Northern Hemisphere. The walrus is the only living species in the Odobenidae family and Odobenus genus. It is subdivided into three subspecies: the Atlantic...
." But his experience made him "realize that polar bears and walruses have quite a lot in common," which is narrated as such in the film.
Plot
At the outset of the movie, Nanu emerges from the cave where she was born along with her brother, just born as well, and their mother. The two polar bearPolar Bear
The polar bear is a bear native largely within the Arctic Circle encompassing the Arctic Ocean, its surrounding seas and surrounding land masses. It is the world's largest land carnivore and also the largest bear, together with the omnivorous Kodiak Bear, which is approximately the same size...
cubs play in the snow for a while until returning to their snow cave. The next day, the cubs start learning from their mother how to survive in the wild. One of the first things they find out by watching their mother is to stay away from grown male polar bears who are apt to kill them.
Seela is shown in the water just after birth with her mother and "Auntie" who helps protect the walrus
Walrus
The walrus is a large flippered marine mammal with a discontinuous circumpolar distribution in the Arctic Ocean and sub-Arctic seas of the Northern Hemisphere. The walrus is the only living species in the Odobenidae family and Odobenus genus. It is subdivided into three subspecies: the Atlantic...
calf during her early life. For her first life lesson, Seela is taught how to hoist herself onto an ice floe from the water without any help except watching her mother do the same. During this time, Auntie watches for predators. When a male polar bear comes along and starts swimming towards the walruses, Seela and her mother try to get away from him, but must rely on Auntie's help to stave off the polar bear's attack.
Next for the polar bear cubs is learning how to hunt for food. Their mother teaches them how to hunt for a fur seal
Fur seal
Fur seals are any of nine species of pinnipeds in the Otariidae family. One species, the northern fur seal inhabits the North Pacific, while seven species in the Arctocephalus genus are found primarily in the Southern hemisphere...
by stamping down on the ice where she can smell the seal in a small cave underneath. After one failed attempt diving into the water, the mother gets the seal by this stamping method, so her cubs and a fox trailing them can eat the meat. Meanwhile, the young walrus feasts on clam
Clam
The word "clam" can be applied to freshwater mussels, and other freshwater bivalves, as well as marine bivalves.In the United States, "clam" can be used in several different ways: one, as a general term covering all bivalve molluscs...
s for three days with the rest of its herd on a clam bed they might revisit in another five years.
The two animals then take similar paths. They have to travel because shorter winters mean ice that freezes later and melts sooner, making it harder to survive and eat as the water of Arctic Ocean
Arctic Ocean
The Arctic Ocean, located in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Arctic north polar region, is the smallest and shallowest of the world's five major oceanic divisions...
expands. Interestingly, male polar bears pose a threat to both of the main creatures, as the cubs have to navigate around him and the walruses try to get away from being prey. After Nanu's brother dies, Nanu has to leave her mother earlier than is customary because of the changing climate conditions, but she still has trouble finding food on her own. Eventually, she finds a male bear who has killed a walrus, identified as Auntie, and aggressively persuades the male to let her share on the feast.
Finally being attracted to animals of the opposite sex, Nanu finds a mate whom she is seen playing with on screen. Seela waits until a particular male walrus's song appeals to her before diving into the water to meet him. Arctic Tale closes with the cycle being complete, as Nanu gives birth to two cubs of her own and Seela gives birth to a female
Female
Female is the sex of an organism, or a part of an organism, which produces non-mobile ova .- Defining characteristics :The ova are defined as the larger gametes in a heterogamous reproduction system, while the smaller, usually motile gamete, the spermatozoon, is produced by the male...
calf.
Message
Throughout the film, narrator Queen LatifahQueen Latifah
Dana Elaine Owens , better known by her stage name Queen Latifah, is an American singer, rapper, and actress. Her work in music, film and television has earned her a Golden Globe award, two Screen Actors Guild Awards, two Image Awards, a Grammy Award, six additional Grammy nominations, an Emmy...
makes allusions to how the rising temperature is affecting the animals in the ice kingdom. A message at the end of the animal footage notes that if the current trend continues, there will be no Arctic ice remaining by the year 2040. During the closing credits, several children talk about how global warming
Global warming
Global warming refers to the rising average temperature of Earth's atmosphere and oceans and its projected continuation. In the last 100 years, Earth's average surface temperature increased by about with about two thirds of the increase occurring over just the last three decades...
has had a detrimental effect on the animals such as the ones in Arctic Tale as well as the people around the world. Afterwards, the National Geographic "green" website is shown on the screen, as National Geographic is a presenter of the film.
Awards and nominations
Arctic Tale is nominated for the Panda Award 2008 which is given at the Wildscreen Festival 2008 in BristolSoundtrack
The soundtrack album for Arctic Tale includes the following tracks:- At the Edge of the World
- Written and performed by Aimee MannAimee MannAimee Mann is an American rock singer-songwriter, guitarist and bassist.-Early life:Aimee Mann grew up in Bon Air, Virginia, graduated from Open High School in 1978 and attended the Berklee College of Music in Boston, but dropped out to sing with her first punk rock band, the Young Snakes...
& Zach GillZach GillZach Gill is a multi instrumentalist/singer/songwriter/member of the rock band ALO and a member of Jack Johnson's band. He also performs regularly as a solo artist.- History :... - Plays in the film's opening credits
- Written and performed by Aimee Mann
- Live Let Live
- Written by Brian WilsonBrian WilsonBrian Douglas Wilson is an American musician, best known as the leader and chief songwriter of the group The Beach Boys. Within the band, Wilson played bass and keyboards, also providing part-time lead vocals and, more often, backing vocals, harmonizing in falsetto with the group...
& Van Dyke ParksVan Dyke ParksVan Dyke Parks is an American composer, arranger, producer, musician, singer, author and actor. Parks is perhaps best known for his contributions as a lyricist on the Beach Boys album Smile.... - Performed by Brian Wilson
- Plays in the ending credits
- Written by Brian Wilson
- Keep On Growing
- Written by Eric ClaptonEric ClaptonEric Patrick Clapton, CBE, is an English guitarist and singer-songwriter. Clapton is the only three-time inductee to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame: once as a solo artist, and separately as a member of The Yardbirds and Cream. Clapton has been referred to as one of the most important and...
& Bobby WhitlockBobby WhitlockRobert Stanley 'Bobby' Whitlock is a songwriter and performer, best known as a member of Derek and the Dominos.- Biography :... - Performed by Sheryl CrowSheryl CrowSheryl Suzanne Crow is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, musician, and actress. Her music incorporates elements of rock, folk, hip hop, country and pop...
- Not featured in the actual movie, although it can be heard playing in the film's theatrical trailer
- Written by Eric Clapton
- Song of the North (Beneath the Sun)
- Written and performed by Grant-Lee PhillipsGrant-Lee PhillipsGrant-Lee Phillips is a singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist known for his versatile voice, intense lyrical narratives and dexterity on the acoustic twelve-string guitar, a style that often sees him compared to Neil Young, Van Morrison, Bruce Springsteen and Bob Dylan.- Background :Born in...
(featuring Sara WatkinsSara WatkinsSara Ullrika Watkins is an American singer-songwriter and fiddler. Watkins debuted in 1989 as the fiddler of the progressive bluegrass group Nickel Creek, which consisted of herself, her elder brother Sean, and mandolinist Chris Thile. As a band, they are notable for three wide-released albums:...
) - Featured twice in the film; once when Nanu's family watches two male polar bears wrestle on the ice, and again in the end credits as the children inform the audiences of how to solve global warming
- Written and performed by Grant-Lee Phillips
- Whale Song
- Written by Jack IronsJack IronsJack Steven Irons is an American musician who is best known as the original drummer of the American rock band The Red Hot Chili Peppers, as well as the former drummer for Eleven and Pearl Jam. He has also worked with Joe Strummer and The Latino Rockabilly War, Redd Kross, Raging Slab, Spinnerette...
- Performed by Pearl JamPearl JamPearl Jam is an American rock band that formed in Seattle, Washington, in 1990. Since its inception, the band's line-up has included Eddie Vedder , Jeff Ament , Stone Gossard , and Mike McCready...
- Not featured in the film
- Written by Jack Irons
- Black Wave
- Written by James MercerJames Mercer (musician)James Russell Mercer is an American guitarist and Alternative rock musician. He is a founding member and lead singer-songwriter of the Grammy-nominated indie rock group The Shins. In 2009, Mercer and producer Danger Mouse formed the side project Broken Bells, for which they released a...
- Performed by The ShinsThe ShinsThe Shins are an American indie rock band comprising singer, songwriter, and guitarist James Mercer, guitarist/bassist Dave Hernandez, Eric Johnson of Fruit Bats, drummer Joe Plummer and bassist Ron Lewis. Their sound draws on several musical genres, including pop, alternative rock, indie rock,...
- Plays as the polar bears and walruses are struggling to survive in their changing environment
- Written by James Mercer
- Soar
- Written by Ralph SallRalph SallRalph Sall is a record producer, music supervisor, composer, songwriter, and screenwriter. He is the president of Bulletproof Entertainment, a company involved in several facets of the entertainment industry, including film, television, comic books and graphic novels, music, internet and live...
- Performed by All Too Much
- Not featured in film
- Written by Ralph Sall
- Itchin'
- Written and performed by Grant Lee-Phillips
- Plays on Rock IslandRock Island- Islands :* Rock Island * Rock Islands , an island in Ontario- Communities :* Rock Island, Quebec, a community within the ville of Stanstead- Islands :* Rock Island , one of the minor Elizabeth Islands...
as the walruses are sunbathing
- If You Took to Me
- Written and performed by Matt Costa
- Not featured in film
- The Great Beyond
- Written and performed by Aimee Mann
- Not featured in film
- Underworld
- Written by Barry GibbBarry GibbBarry Alan Crompton Gibb, CBE , is a singer, songwriter and producer. He was born in the Isle of Man to English parents. With his brothers Robin and Maurice, he formed The Bee Gees, one of the most successful pop groups of all time. The trio got their start in Australia, and found their major...
, Ashley Gibb & Stephen Gibb - Performed by Barry Gibb
- Not featured in film
- Written by Barry Gibb
- We Are Family
- Written by Nile Rogers & Bernard EdwardsBernard EdwardsBernard Edwards born in Greenville, North Carolina, was a bass player and record producer, both as a member of the Funk/Disco band Chic and on his own. He died of pneumonia while touring in Japan.-History:...
- Performed by Sister SledgeSister SledgeSister Sledge is an American musical group from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, formed in 1972 and consisting of four sisters: Kim Sledge Debbie Sledge , Joni Sledge , and Kathy Sledge . They are granddaughters of the former opera singer Viola Williams. The sisters used to perform under the name of "Mrs...
- Played as Seela is introduced to her herd
- Written by Nile Rogers & Bernard Edwards
- An additional song, Happy Ever After in Your Eyes by Ben HarperBen HarperBenjamin Chase "Ben" Harper is an American singer-songwriter and musician. Harper plays an eclectic mix of blues, folk, soul, reggae and rock music and is known for his guitar-playing skills, vocals, live performances and activism. Harper's fan base spans several continents...
, is featured as the film's closing track, as Nanu and Seela give birth to their children, but does not appear on the soundtrack album.
External links
- Arctic Tale at MetacriticMetacriticMetacritic.com is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows and DVDs. For each product, a numerical score from each review is obtained and the total is averaged. An excerpt of each review is provided along with a hyperlink to the source. Three colour codes of Green,...
- Filmmakers Website
- Filmmakers Corporate Website
- Arctic Exploration Fund
- Interview with Adam Ravetch and Sarah Robertson
- High Def Digest Arctic Tale Review