Leaving his home in Spain, 10-year-old Unai accompanies his wildlife photographer father (along with his mother and sister) on a journey to each continent to take pictures of seven representative animals who have faced extinction or habitat destruction. Traveling for over a year, Andoni Canela (who also directs) and his son pursue the sometimes elusive animals needed for photos for Canela’s book. Camping in the deserts of Namibia and in nearby Botswana, Unai and his father pursue elephants. In North America, the pair visit the Badlands of South Dakota, Yellowstone, and Colorado to find bison. To photograph penguins, the family travels to an island off the coast of Chile (Canela also captures pictures of gentoo penguins in Antarctica). In addition, father and son photograph hornbills in Thailand and Laos, saltwater crocodiles in Australia, pumas in Chile, and Iberian wolves in northern Spain. Narrating the film, Unai brings his unique perspective to what he sees and learns on the journey (he also delights in alternating from English to Spanish as he describes their adventures). Even in the remotest places with makeshift living quarters, Unai expresses his love of nature, exploration, and ability to have fun with his sister. A published photographer, Canela includes exceptional still photos of each of the animals. The spectacular shots of glaciers, sand dunes, snowy mountains, rainforest foliage, and deserts convey the wondrous and stark beauty of places all over the globe, along with the message that humankind should protect these animals and their natural surroundings. Highly recommended. Aud: H, C, P. (T. Root)
Looking for the Wild: Unai’s Journey
(2016) 70 min. In English & Spanish w/English subtitles. DVD: $39: public libraries; $79: high schools; $129: colleges & universities. DRA. Green Planet Films. PPR. SDH captioned. Volume 34, Issue 3
Looking for the Wild: Unai’s Journey
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