Paramount Vintage Press“Wow, would you look at that,” said Adam Ravetch, former San Diego State marine biology student and co-director/co-cinematographer of the new documentary “Arctic Tale.”
If there’s anything to be said about Ravetch, it’s that the guy has passion. Even if he’s still capable of beholding a polar bear in a child-like awe and reverence, he knows well the capability of their large paws and sharp teeth.
“All bears will eat you, given the chance,” he said as if talking about the weather.
Despite the dangers and numerous close calls, Ravetch and his wife and co-director/co-cinematographer, Sarah Robertson, as well as their various crewmembers, have been making this “Tale” for 15 years. The end result is what Ravetch labels a “wildlife adventure,” more so than a straightforward documentary, crafting a story that follows the parallel stories of Seela, a baby walrus, and Nanu, a polar bear cub, as they grow up in the unforgiving arctic wilderness that is slowly disappearing.
Naturally, when given a task as immense as following the life of animals in the frigid North, it’s virtually impossible to follow the same group of animals. Ravetch said that about six to eight different mother/baby pairs of walruses and polar bear families were used to portray the story, with Queen Latifah narrating.
“Seela and Nanu are composite characters,” Ravetch said. “We wanted to show the very best qualities of both animals.”
Even so, “best qualities” doesn’t mean shying away from the harsh realities of nature. As Nanu and her brother play or Seela lounges on an ice rack, there is always the specter of starvation or the danger of a predator hanging above any given moment. Those who come to see cute fuzzy critters be warned: Ring seals look really tasty to Nanu and her family.
“This is real footage using real scientific data to back it up … (but) we write an emotional story around it.” Ravetch points out that the writing team for the film’s narration supports this claim.
Not short of all-stars, the writers include animation writer Linda Woolverton (“Beauty and The Beast”), Emmy-nominated natural history writer Mose Richards (“Mystic India”) and Kristin Gore (“Futurama”), who happens to be Al Gore’s daughter and contributed humor.
Perhaps the involvement of a Gore is appropriate, considering that Ravetch took pains to show the all-too-real impact that global warming has had on the polar ice caps.
As the film continues, we see Seela fighting for a place on her shrinking ice bed, while Nanu struggles to walk through the thin ice and faces a difficult time finding dinner. However, Latifah’s narration keeps from going too deeply into the specifics about the nuts and bolts of climate change.
And Ravetch wouldn’t have had it any other way: “Walruses and polar bears don’t read the headlines … (so) we decided to keep it more emotional.” To that end, the film remains content not to linger on the loss of habitat but to instead focus on how these creatures cope and manage to survive.
Ultimately, Ravetch is proud to have contributed at least a small part of preserving what the film dubs “these animals’ ancient way of life.”
Indeed, some of the footage is unique in its nature – walruses head butting through ice; the nurturing behavior of the “nanny” walrus (embodied in the film by the character dubbed “Auntie”) and, in a brief but unforgettable cameo role, the elusive narwhal, the so-called “unicorn of the sea.”
Mention of the narwhal put Ravetch in a nostalgic mood, recalling his SDSU diving instructor Mark Flahan, who introduced Ravetch to the unique porpoise and also inspired him to take up diving seriously.
“If it weren’t for Mark, I wouldn’t be doing what I’m doing now … it was such a great program,”
Fond memories aside, Ravetch looks to the future and is in talks to create more documentaries, including a sequel to “Arctic Tale,” but poses concern that there may not be an arctic left to film in the future.
-‘Arctic Tale’ opens on July 25.
