This #EarthDay, #Disneynature brings the brand-new adventures of a new polar bear mother in a rapidly changing Arctic in the documentary film #PolarBear. As majestic bears of the Arctic snow desert, polar bears have always captivated us with their strength, endurance and reputation for being a top predator. But their habitats remain challenging and risk-laden as was observed by directors Alastair Fothergill and Jeff Wilson while filming for Disneynature’s latest documentary film, Polar Bear. The documentary, narrated by two-time #AcademyAward® nominee #CatherineKeener, tells the story of a new mother whose memories of her own youth prepare her to navigate motherhood in the increasingly challenging world that polar bears face today. Director #JeffWilson shares how his team braved the Arctic tundra to capture a never-before-seen journey of a polar bear. Stream Polar Bear exclusively on #DisneyHotstar.
Sharing his experience, director Jeff Wilson said, “We had to figure out how to be in the bears’ presence for the longest period of time possible in order to really capture the kind of character moments and the behaviours that we knew could support a film. To do that—especially in those winter months, you need to figure out how to survive out there.”
The filmmakers chose a strategic location to set up camp to capture the bears in their natural best. This called for the creation of a revolutionary, environmentally friendly, self-contained, sledge-mounted mobile camp with a kitchen, lounge area, and sleeping accommodations, among other rooms. “It had its own heat, generated its own water, gave us protection from the bears and allowed members of our team to survive for up to four months,” added Jeff Wilson.
Bringing to light the incredible feat achieved by the Polar Bear team, director Jeff Wilson said, “No one had ever really put themselves in a position to survive for that length of time in that location before. It made a significant difference to what we could achieve and the level of ambition we could have. It took 18 months to plan and build before filming even started.”
The Polar Bear team consisted of an Emmy®- and BAFTA®-winning long-lens cinematographer, an award-winning drone operator and a revolutionary gyro-stabilized camera system & operator and professional Arctic guides to ultimately log 241 days of filming in the field. However, the filming was briefing punctuated by the pandemic that prevented filmmakers from shooting for an entire season. The production team also closely worked with scientists from the Norwegian Polar Institute, to learn about the region and bear behaviour.
Tune into Disney+ Hotstar this Earth Day to exclusively stream Disneynature’s latest documentary film Polar Bear.
