Unless you’ve been living under a rock (instead of living on one), you’ve no doubt heard of the latest venture from the newly formed Disneynature label, EARTH, to be released this Earth Day, April 22. But EARTH, as it turns out, is not actually the first film from Disneynature, but actually just the first film to be released in North America. The actual title of first film belongs to a documentary called The Crimson Wing: Mystery of the Flamingos.
Shot over a period of year, co-directors Matthew Aeberhard and Leander Ward camped out near the shores of Lake Natron in Tanzania where millions of flamingos are born, fall in love and die in sights in a spectacular view few have ever seen. Estimates suggest that 75% of all of the world’s lesser flamingos are born right at the lake which has several unique attributes that lend itself to be the perfect home for the flamingos.
Making use of technology, the filmmakers were also able to step foot on an island in the middle of the lake, the first humans known to do so, giving them exclusive access to the life of the lake’s inhabitants. Also captured on film was the eruption of Ol Doinyo Lengai, the first in forty years.
The lake is at the heart of a controversy involving plans to build a nearby soda ash factory which activists claim will bring an end to this nature spectacle. You can read more about it here.
More information and a trailer for the film after the jump: Read more…