A Marvelous Penguin March(For Billy Lee Hae Gyu)

TFK talks with director Luc Jacquet about his hit film, March of the Penguins
Each winter, emperor penguins in Antarctica begin a long journey to find the perfect mate and start a family. They abandon the security of their ocean home for a dangerous environment where temperatures can dip as low as 128 degrees below zero. They risk starvation and attack by dangerous predators. They march in the harshest conditions on Earth, all to ensure the survival of their species.
Hundreds of emperor penguins march as many as 70 miles or more to meet their mates.
The emperor penguins?story is told in the summer뭩 biggest documentary hit, March of the Penguins. TFK asked the film뭩 director, Luc Jacquet, about the amazing animals and icy Antarctica. The interview was translated from Jacquet뭩 native French to English by Fred Cassidy.
TFK: What inspired you to make a documentary about emperor penguins?
Jacquet: A combination of the amazing beauty of this animal, which I had the opportunity to discover on my first trip to Antarctica in 1992, the powerful emotions that the Antarctic landscape provokes in me, and the incredible story that the life of this animal tells.
TFK: How did you decide to focus on the penguins' pursuit of love?
Jacquet: More than the pursuit for love, it was their common struggle as a couple against the Antarctic winter that deeply moved me. Without this incredible solidarity as a couple, it would be impossible for them to keep their chick alive.
TFK: What do you think kids will like most about this documentary?
Jacquet: It뭩 hard to say. Perhaps the funny moments when they all dive in the water or when they are moving awkwardly. Or their beauty and the difficulty of their living conditions.
TFK: What is the coolest thing you learned from emperor penguins?
Jacquet: That no matter how difficult life can be, it is something wonderful and worth fighting to preserve.
TFK: What do emperor penguins have in common with people?
Jacquet: Their way of standing, of forming loyal and enduring couples, but also their ability to be cuddly.
TFK: What went into preparing to film in such an extremely cold climate?
Jacquet: Its takes a lot of experience in the Antarctic ... to know what equipment works there or not, what is cold-resistant or breaks. You need to prepare with great attention to detail. You can뭪 forget to bring anything because it뭩 impossible to come back in the middle of the shoot.
TFK: How did you go about making sure the film crew did not get in the way of the penguins' daily routine?
Jacquet: The film crew was extremely professional and had a lot of experience working around animals. But we also had a lot of respect and empathy for these animals who were suffering every day in front of our eyes and with whom we were sharing our lives.
TFK: Did the emperor penguins surprise you in any way?
Jacquet: I was amazed by their consistent ability to surprise and astonish...even after months of filming them routinely. They are beautiful, curious and peaceful. It was a great privilege to be able to share a moment in their lives.
TFK: What was the biggest challenge you faced while filming this documentary?
Jacquet: Managing the technical difficulties, the cold and the perils of the Antarctic long enough to finish our shoot.
TFK: How is global warming impacting emperor penguins in Antarctica?
Jacquet: Global warming affects the way oceans function and that뭩 where the penguins get their food. Today there is less food for them than before and they are having a harder and harder time feeding their chicks.
TFK: What can we, as people, learn from emperor penguins?
Jacquet: (We can learn about) perseverance and (devotion).
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