Documentary dives into dolphins’ lives
By Daily Bruin Staff
Oct. 24, 2000 9:00 p.m.
 MacGillicray Freeman Films Dr. Kathleen
Dudzinski observes a pod of Atlantic spotted dolphins off
the coast of the Bahamas and records their behaviors with her
innovative video-acoustic array.
By Jacqueline Maar
Daily Bruin Contributor
For anyone whose ever wanted to swim with dolphins, this surreal
dream may be a pending reality.
Featured on IMAX screens across America, “Dolphins”
has the goal of both entertaining and educating audiences about one
of the most loved animals of the sea.
Since the first stories of dolphins rescuing men were told in
Ancient Greece, the ideal of the friendly dolphin has been used in
various venues, such as the television show “Flipper.”
A source of human fascination for centuries, dolphins are known for
their intelligence and endless curiosity.
Narrated by Pierce Brosnan of James Bond fame, the film not only
gives information about dolphins, such as their eating habits and
their games, but it also tells the story of the lives of dolphins
and how they interact with one another, in addition to how humans
interact with them.
By personalizing the film to tell the select stories of a few
individuals, “Dolphins” makes the film more
approachable and poignant to its audience.
The first in the 10 part “Great Adventure Film
Series,” “Dolphins” is brought to life by
MacGillivray-Freeman films, the same company which brought
audiences “Everest” and the Academy Award-nominated
“The Living Sea.”
 MacGillivray Freeman Films Director Greg
MacGillivray and crew get a close up shot of a leaping
dolphin in the Bahamas. Using sweeping overhead camera angles and
close up underwater photography, “Dolphins” makes the
most of the giant IMAX screen, allowing the audience not only to
look into the world of dolphins, but to actually feel as if they
are in it. Ten times larger than a regular 35mm picture frame, the
huge IMAX screen overwhelms with its sheer size alone.
From the Bahamas to Patagonia, “Dolphins” takes
viewers to different parts of the world, looking at just a few of
the more than 30 species of dolphins.
Special effects used to illustrate the location and the areas
surrounding the habitats in which the dolphins live provide good
transitions between different stories.
Moving beyond the factual feel of a typical documentary,
“Dolphins” looks into the stories of dolphins and the
people who have made dolphin research and interaction their
life’s work.
Dr. Kathleen Dudzinski, for instance, is a marine biologist
featured in the film, who studies and swims with wild dolphins off
the coast of Hope Island in the Bahamas. Viewers learn that she
uses a self-designed camera called a mobile-video-acoustic array to
follow and record the clicks, squeaks and whistles that dolphins
make in order to study their communication patterns.
“Dolphins” follows her at work, as she swims with
the creatures and observes them in their natural habitat. Dudzinski
goes from studying the Atlantic bottlenose dolphin to the feeding
habits of the Dusky Dolphins in Argentina.
One of the most moving stories in the film is the relationship
between JoJo, a lone “ambassador” dolphin, and Dean
Bernal, a naturalist. The two have been swimming together for the
past 15 years.
Ever since Bernal was named JoJo’s personal warden, a
close relationship has formed between them, allowing the two to
communicate with each other using their own actions and
movements.
The audience is given a glance at various species as well, from
dolphins living in the Atlantic to those living in the Bahamas and
off the coast of Argentina. “Dolphins” also gives
insight into the relationships that these mammals have with one
another by looking at their different forms of communication.
The film shows the different ways dolphins interact with one
another, from touching their pectoral fins to swimming beside each
other.
The audience feels as if they are actually taken into the ocean
and immersed into the world of the dolphins through observing them
at play, mealtime and even as they procreate.
The music for the film was written and composed by Steve Wood,
who collaborated with Sting to make the soundtrack for
“Dolphins.” Featured in the film is an all-new song,
written solely for the movie, titled “I Need You Like This
Hole in My Head.”
Included in the soundtrack are songs from Sting’s
“Brand New Day” album as well as tracks from his older
releases. Putting a tropical twist to Sting’s music,
“Dolphins” gives audiences a feel for the playfulness
and curiosity dolphins possess. Even Sting’s “Every
Breath You Take” becomes the theme for some after-dinner fun
for the dolphins.
From swimming with dolphins to studying them,
“Dolphins” gives more than just facts to its audience:
it tells stories that are both moving and entertaining.
A dolphin dance that takes place as Dudzinski swims with them,
shows the gracefulness and liveliness possessed by the creatures.
Moving effortlessly through the water, a single flip of their tail
propels them forward while also allowing them to communicate with
one another, in addition to their clicks and whistles.
By informing audiences of ocean preservation and conservation,
“Dolphins” also hopes to help spread awareness of the
problems that plague today’s seas and affect its
inhabitants.
Sponsored by the National Wildlife Foundation, the message of
helping save our dolphin friends is projected to audiences all
around the country.
“Dolphins” is perfect for kids and youngsters to
learn about these creatures. The addition of great storytelling
makes the movie appropriate for audiences of all ages.
One of the most enjoyable IMAX films, “Dolphins”
proves to be both educational and entertaining, informing audiences
about dolphins while keeping them entranced with the huge images
presented before them on the IMAX screen.
Unlike a mere documentary, the huge IMAX screen allows the film
to inform the audience about dolphins, while making it feel as if
it is in the water. The result is a more personalized experience,
allowing the audience members to live vicariously through Dudzinski
and Bernal as they swim with dolphins.
FILM: “Dolphins” is now playing at the California
Science Center IMAX Theater in Los Angeles and the Edward’s
theaters in Irvine, Ontario and Valencia. For more information,
check out www.dolphinsfilm.com.
