Disneynature’s ‘Wings of Life’ on Blu-ray in April; Includes Sneak Peek at 2014′s ‘Bears’

Disneynature’s Wings of Life, will be available to own domestically on Blu-ray, Digital and On Demand beginning April 16, 2013, it was announced today by Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment. It’s now available for pre-order from Amazon.com.

Narrated by Academy Award® winner Meryl Streep and directed by Louie Schwartzberg, Wings of Life takes a spectacular, closer-than-close, high-definition look at the intricate world of butterflies, hummingbirds, bees and bats, and their life-sustaining collaboration with flowers. It has previously been released internationally under the title Pollen.

Below is a look at the film as well as its director from a previous presentation from the 2011 TED conference:

Employing multiple cameras, both time-lapse and high-speed cinematography and extraordinary patience (while nature took its time unfolding), filmmakers shot on location in more than a dozen areas, ranging from the El Rosario Preserve in Michoacán, Mexico, to Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument Park in Arizona. Wings of Life features extraordinary imagery shot with digital cameras — one capable of frame rates of up to 1500 frames per second, and the use of a pinhole lens, which allowed the cameraman to get within millimeters of an insect subject while retaining a clear view of the background. The resulting imagery — intimate and breathtaking — is brought to life for audiences through spectacular high-definition picture and sound quality.

To celebrate the debut of Wings of Life, Disneynature has made a contribution to the Disney Worldwide Conservation Fund (DWCF) to protect pollinators worldwide. The DWCF has already supported more than 20 projects across North America focused on protecting pollinators and their habitats. Grants have helped conservationists save endangered butterflies, expand habitat for honeybees and educate children about the importance of pollinators and how they can help protect them.

The Wings of Life Blu-ray Combo Pack also includes a sneak peek at Disneynature’s 2014 big-screen adventure Bears. In an epic story of breathtaking scale set against a majestic Alaskan backdrop teeming with life, the film, which is currently in production, follows two mother grizzly bears as they impart life lessons to their impressionable young cubs.