Nature's Lens: Nature Museum Film Series

Discover the gateway to fresh and insightful films focused on sustainability and nature. From arctic animals to electric cars, explore a variety of topics that will connect you to the natural world. See the calendar below for more details on films, dates and times.

 

September

 

Silence of the Bees (Thursday September 2, 16 & 30, 11 a.m. and 1 p.m.) In the winter of 2006, a mysterious epidemic began decimating honeybee populations in North America. This documentary explores the possible causes of the disease and follows scientists as they attempt to stop its spread. Hanging in the balance is the future of the world's food supplies, which stand to be devastated by the plague. Oscar winner F. Murray Abraham hosts this Peabody Award-winning episode of the PBS series "Nature."

 

Crane Song (Thursday September 9 & 23, 11 a.m. and 1 p.m.) This soaring documentary brings you the dramatic sights and sounds of thousands of sandhill cranes as they make their annual stopover in Nebraska's Platte River Valley during their 5,000-mile migration to the Arctic tundra. Featuring interviews with ornithologists, nature photographers and ordinary Nebraskans fighting to maintain the birds' disappearing habitat, the program offers a unique glimpse into one of nature's most remarkable phenomenon.

 

Asian Carp: Documentary Film Screening and Panel Discussion (Thursday September 16, 6:30 p.m.)
Enjoy a screening of Ravenswood Media’s short documentary film, Preventing a Hostile Takeover: Asian Carp and the Great Lakes, followed by a moderated panel discussion. The panel includes representatives from the Illinois River Towing Association, the Nature Conservancy, the Nature Museum, Trout Unlimited, and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Please join us for what is sure to be a lively and informative discussion, followed with a question and answer session.

Cost: $4/member, $10/non-member. Includes wine and cheese reception. RSVP to adultprograms@naturemuseum.org or 773-755-5100, Ext. 5028.

 

October

 

The Adirondacks (Thursday October 7 & 21, 11 a.m. and 1 p.m.) This PBS documentary takes a detailed look at New York's 6-million-acre Adirondacks Park, the biggest park in the contiguous United States and the only one in North America equally divided between wilderness sanctuaries and privately owned land. Interviews with people who call the area home bring into focus the history, wildlife and geography of the region, and illuminate the sometimes fractious debate about progress vs. preservation.

 

The Garden (Thursday October 14 & 28, 11 a.m. and 1 p.m.) Filmmaker Scott Hamilton Kennedy's politically charged, Oscar-nominated documentary follows a group of low-income families struggling to protect a 14-acre urban farm in the middle of South Central Los Angeles from bureaucratic real estate developers. A lightning rod for controversy in 2004, this cause célèbre drew the attention of numerous activists and politicians, including Dennis Kucinich, Joan Baez and Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigoisa.

 

November

 

Dogs and more Dogs (Thursday November 4 & 18, 11 a.m. and 1 p.m.) Talk about going to the dogs! Narrated by John Lithgow, this program puts an accent on pooches as it explores a variety of canine-related venues -- from a wolf research facility in rural Indiana to the Westminster Dog Show in New York. Along the way, many questions are answered about the origins of man's best friend, including some interesting insights into genetic diseases and suspect breeding practices.

 

Wild Parrots of Telegraph hill (Thursday November 11 & 25, 11 a.m. and 1 p.m.) This poignant documentary chronicles the true story of a modern-day St. Francis of Assisi, a homeless San Francisco street musician by the name of Mark Bittner who adopts a flock of wild parrots as he searches for meaning in his life. With a surprise ending that left festival audiences cheering, director Judy Irving's film celebrates urban wildness -- human and avian -- and links parrot antics to human behavior.

 

December

 

Christmas in Yellowstone (Thursday December 2, 16 & 30, 11 a.m. and 1 p.m.) Academy Award winner Linda Hunt narrates this mesmerizing program that captures winter in the wilderness in all of its splendor. Here are sights that only a fraction of Yellowstone's almost three million visitors each year are privileged to see.

 

Beauty of Ugly (Thursday December 9 & 23, 11 a.m. and 1 p.m.) What may seem unattractive to the human eye can actually be a vital means of survival for many less-than-beautiful species. The peculiar proboscis of the star-nosed mole, for instance, is what allows it to be a crafty hunter. The naked mole rat queen is the only animal that can extend her spine. Alligator-snapping turtles, fisherman bats, lappet-faced vultures and others round out the homely cast in this salute to the beauty of ugly.