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PATRICK AND THE WHALE at Sedona International Film Festival

Throughout the ages, whales have been a mystery and a source of wonder to theologians and mystics, writers and artists, scientists and oceanographers.

Painted Peruvian pottery dating back to the 6th century BC reveals the fascination, if not the fear and reverence that primitive societies had for cetaceans.

Leviathan is often mentioned in the Old Testament, most prominently in the moral tale of Jonah and the Whale, and in the New Testament (Revelation 13) as a great enemy of the righteous.

Herman Melville’s classic fable, Moby Dickreflects the biblical conception of whales as fearsome creatures and the embodiment of evil that only an obsessed Ahab can defeat.

Oceanographers and conservationists study whales to better understand their role in the health of the marine environment, their impact on climate change, and their distinctive attributes in communication and echolocation.

In contrast to the research above, noted marine videographer and British Academy Film director Patrick Dykstra Award-winning wildlife photographer(Blue Planet II) dives deeper in uniquely different directions to understand the relationship between the “great fish” and the “human”.

of patrick and the whaleone of this year’s featured documentaries Sedona International Film FestivalDijkstra engages in a strange years-long quest to understand the evolving emotional relationship between him and a sperm whale. Dolores.

With grit and determination, Dykstra and his crew have been sailing the oceans and tracking whale movements for over a decade. In time, he discovers the truth about the special connection whales share. It can be both a blessing and a danger.

In a pivotal, painful, and dramatic moment, he discovered ten beached sperm whales, the communal ties that bind one whale to the other, and that each whale was will follow another whale, leading to a shared and premature death.

Still, it is this binding attribute that pursues Dykstra. Dolores Be prepared.

His tenacity culminates in an epiphany scene that only nature could have choreographed, thankfully captured by his camera crew. A ring of whales envelops him, as if they had formally invited him (as Dijkstra explains), intimate family reunion.

Dijkstra sometimes anthropomorphize How else, like whales, can we acknowledge the unique qualities of this mammal: bonding, communication, and the mystery of its echolocation ability? While he shares these some key insights about what we can learn from living things, he also acknowledges that there is still much more to discover and understand.

In this vein, an introduction to David Attenborough blue planet “The seemingly endless ocean evokes awe, wonder, and sometimes fear in us. Despite covering 70% of our planet’s surface, it is still largely unexplored. Beneath the waves, beneath my feet, are creatures beyond our imagination.”

Consider Patrick Dykstra’s documentary an invaluable and elegant contribution to uncovering these deep-sea mysteries.

Directed by Mark Fletcher, this film is a spectacular cinematography and recording virtual feast, with music by Matthew Atticus Berger and H. Scott Salinas and camerawork that captures the gentle giants of the deep and their fellow travelers. Enhanced collaboration. in a moving ballet.

The overall effect of the film is to leave the viewer in awe and respect for both the filmmaker and their devoted subject.

The 72-minute documentary premieres Thursday, February 23 at 1:00 PM (Alice Gil Sheldon Theater) and Saturday, February 25 at 1:10 p.m. (Harkins Sedona 6 – Theater 2).

of Sedona International Film Festival will enter its 29th season from February 18th to 26th.

Sedona International Film Festival ~ From Saturday, February 18 to Sunday, February 26 … https://sedonafilmfestival.com/

2023 Film Festival Schedule@ https://sedonafilmfestival.com/2023-film-festival-schedule/

office: 2030 W. State Route 89A, Suite B-2, Sedona, AZ ~ 928-282-1177

photo credit Terra Mater Studios GmbH

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