Montclair Family Screening:
Whale Nation
Les gardiennes de la planète (Guardians of the Planet)
Schedule
Saturday, April 26, 2025
Dir. Jean-Albert Lievre, 2023, France, 82min, DCP
Narrated by Jean Dujardin
In French with English subtitles
Recommended for ages 6+
In this stunning documentary, director Jean-Albert Lièvre follows the plight of a beached humpback whale through dual perspectives—a young girl and the whale itself. The narrative unfolds alongside interviews with myriad experts and incredible underwater footage of whales in their natural environment, emphasizing the intelligence, community, and ecological role of these gentle giants—and the toll that humans take on them. Both a poetic homage to Heathcote Williams’ book Whale Nation and a rallying cry, urging viewers to consider the effects of their actions, both big and small, positive and negative.
This screening is part of L’Alliance New York’s Climate Month programming.
Venue
Jean-Albert Lièvre
Jean-Albert Lièvre is a French documentary filmmaker, photographer, and author. In 1986 he began working on wildlife documentaries for television and the IMAX circuits. In 1992, Lièvre directed his first film The History of a Yucatan Cisal Rope. Through his work centering on the observation of nature, the director has become a sort of “accidental environmentalist” whose voice echoes a case for preservation and insists on the necessity of existing with nature. Lièvre currently lives and works between Paris and Corsica.
Header Image: Whale Nation, Dir. Jean-Albert Lievre, 2023
{acf_additional_info_event_event_expanded_info_heading}
{acf_additional_info_event_event_expanded_intro}
