Well, I finally got a chance to go and see March of the Penguins. My only regret is that it took me so long to get to the movies to watch this incredible film. The film is a story about the epic journey of emperor penguins from the coast of Antarctica to their nesting ground, 70 or so miles inland. It chronicles the 8-month ordeal that they go through to find a single mate, lay their egg and raise their chick. In so doing, the film is a poetic testament to the struggle of life that exists in what is one of the most inhospitable parts of this planet.

Life which, in a fundamental way, is not very different from our own and which is inextricably linked and thus threatened by the activities we undertake. Activities such as those which are contributing to climate change which is thinning the very ice that must last through the summer in order for the penguins to raise their young away from the frigid waters.

This film is a perfect example of storytelling that can transcend the current wisdom about what the public wants. As one flips through the channels on TV these days it is an endless onslaught of scripted reality this and celebrity that. The public, according to producers, is not smart enough to watch anything else. But, as the old saying goes … if you build it they will come … or, in this case watch — and watch you should. This is real reality, not the fabricated sort that is so common these days. In fact, March of the Penguins is the second-highest grossing documentary film after Fahrenheit 9/11 — a lesson perhaps that the public is smart enough to watch a film that explores a small piece of our intricate and incredible water planet.

My only gripe with the film is that it didn’t address any of the conservation issues that are facing the penguins. Regardless, it is a powerful story that anyone would enjoy and everyone should see.