Film: March Of The Penguins

"Luc Jacquet, 2005, France, USA, Colour, English, 80′ mins, Certificate: U"

At the end of the Antarctic Summer, Emperor Penguins, the tallest and heaviest of their species, begin their journey to become parents in the most dangerous conditions in the spectacular but unforgiving tundra. Their extraordinary mating ritual starts with a march, where they do so in style, following an instinctual choreography to the beat of the wind and the cracks and booms of the icy ocean.

Luc Jacquet, the director of this documentary, captures the Emperor Penguins with a keen yet tender eye, honouring the small moments of triumph and heartbreak the Emperor Penguins experience while raising their baby penguins as equals. The result is an Oscar-winning and record-breaking documentary, one that will excite your brain and warm your heart. 

Fun fact: March Of The Penguins is the highest-grossing nature documentary ever, and the fourth-highest-grossing overall documentary of all time. It is also worth noting that, by the time of the 2006 Academy Awards, this Best Documentary winner had out-grossed all five Best Picture nominees ($77 million vs $75 million for Brokeback Mountain).