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Mystery of
the Nile
Opens Friday, February 18, 2005 at Blockbuster IMAX® Theater
The Epic Story of the First Expedition down the World’s
Greatest and Deadliest River
A New IMAX® Theatre Film from Orbita Max and
MacGillivray Freeman Films
January 6, 2005,
Fort Lauderdale-- Join this emotional and historic expedition
and be the first to travel the entire length of the Nile—the
longest river in the world—from source to sea. Face whitewater
rapids, dodge crocodiles and hippos, explore exotic landscapes,
view the sacred tombs of Egypt, and understand the cultural
links between the Ethiopian, Sudanese and Egyptian
civilizations. Mystery of the Nile opens on February 18, 2005 at
Blockbuster IMAX® Theater, located at the Museum of Discovery
and Science in downtown Fort Lauderdale. This film is locally
sponsored by Maroone, an AutoNation company.
Racing through a rugged gorge as large as the Grand Canyon, the
Mystery of the Nile expedition offers an adventurous journey
through a world few have ever seen. The film will take audiences
on a rugged expedition down the river and through
crocodile-infested waters, enormous waterfalls, giant rapids and
breathtaking lakes. Join Pasquale Scaturro, his expedition
partner, Gordon Brown, and their team as they track the river's
path through some of the most gorgeous and unpredictable terrain
in the world.
Mystery of the Nile explores intriguing connections between the
ancient civilizations of Ethiopia, Sudan and Egypt, and it also
examines the environmental issues facing the Nile region today.
The Nile is celebrated for its exotic beauty and rich
history—the upper region of the Nile has a history as long as
the river itself. For thousands of years, many unique cultures
have depended on the river for survival. It sheltered ancient
civilizations that stretched for 3,000 miles, from Alexandria on
the Mediterranean Sea to the heart of Ethiopia, the source of
the Blue Nile. Along the Nile, many different cultures coexist
with spectacular and unique sites, such as the eleven rock
Churches of Lalibela.
On April 28, 2004, the team of intrepid explorers was the first
in history to conquer all 3,260 miles of the world’s greatest
river in a single descent from its source in the Ethiopian
highlands to the Mediterranean Sea.
Traveling by raft and kayak, the team spent 114 days navigating
the Blue Nile’s treacherous gorges in Ethiopia, the flat, desert
plains of war-torn Sudan, and the bustling port cities of Egypt,
before reaching their final destination. Along the way, they
faced nearly insurmountable challenges—the world’s most
dangerous rapids, gunfire from armed bandits, arrests by local
militia, blinding sandstorms, exposure to malaria, and the
relentless heat of the fierce desert sun—all while documenting
their journey with an IMAX camera and two video cams.
This epic journey is the subject of a new large format film,
Mystery of the Nile, from Orbita Max and Academy
Award®-nominated filmmakers MacGillivray Freeman Films. It was
directed and written by Spanish filmmaker Jordi Llompart in his
large format film debut, and produced by Llompart and veteran
large format filmmaker Greg MacGillivray (two-time
Oscar®-nominee, The Living Sea, Dolphins, Everest). Mystery of
the Nile features an international squad of adventurers, each
with a personal mission. The team includes: expedition leader
Pasquale Scaturro, a geophysicist and experienced guide who has
climbed Mt. Everest three times and has run many of Africa’s
toughest rivers; his expedition partner, Gordon Brown, a
renowned kayaker and Emmy Award®-winning cinematographer, is one
of few people who have kayaked through extreme whitewater rapids
with the giant IMAX camera rigged to a kayak; Dr. Mohamed
Megahed, one of Egypt’s top hydrologists who has come to study
the changing environmental reality of the river that is so
important to his country and family; Saskia Lange, a journalist
who is compelled by the human and spiritual dimensions of the
journey; Myriam Seco, a Spanish archaeologist sometimes dubbed
“the female Indiana Jones” who leads the team on visits to the
region’s pyramids; and Michel L’Hullier, an adventure
photographer who hopes to capture the spirit of the river and
its people with his camera lens.
With the dazzling immediacy of IMAX photography, Mystery of the
Nile brings the expedition’s bold voyage to life with
unmistakable realism. Audiences will feel like they are riding
shotgun on the team’s 16-foot rafts as they crash through the
rapids in Ethiopia’s remote desert canyons. They will feel the
intense heat as the team traverses the desert shores of Sudan on
their way to Khartoum where the Blue Nile merges with the White
Nile to form the Nile proper. They will witness the human
struggle inherent in such an arduous journey and watch as the
crew overcomes feelings of fear and frustration. But more than
just a chronicle of a groundbreaking expedition, Mystery of the
Nile also reveals a wondrous region that is host to abundant
historical, cultural and natural treasures, where a connection
to the ancient past informs our understanding of the rapidly
changing future.
“The Nile is the most magnificent river in the world,” said
Scaturro, who has written a book about the expedition with
co-author Richard Bangs (Mystery of the Nile will be published
by Putnam in February 2005). “No other river can compare. And no
other river in the world is as closely associated with a
particular culture and society as is the Nile. Without the Nile
there would be no Egypt, no pharaohs, no pyramids.”
Adds producer Greg MacGillivray: “The expedition down the Blue
Nile and Nile will fill audiences with awe. Pasquale and his
team overcame enormous hurdles to complete their bold mission.
It reminds me of the almost insurmountable challenges our
Everest team faced in 1996. As with that
film, Mystery of the Nile brings back to the rest of us a very
human, very moving story about determination and cooperation,
all through the visceral realism of IMAX photography.”
ABOUT THE MUSEUM OF DISCOVERY AND SCIENCE
The mission of the Museum of Discovery and Science is to provide
experiential pathways to lifelong learning in science for
children and adults through exhibits, programs, and films.
Founded in 1976 as The Discovery Center, the nonprofit facility
serves approximately 400,000 visitors each year. Major
operational support for the Museum is provided through generous
support by Leadership Guild members including: American Express,
City Furniture, JM Family Enterprises, Inc., Sun-Sentinel and
Wachovia.
The Museum is open seven days per week (including Thanksgiving
and Christmas); Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.,
and Sunday from noon to 6 p.m. with extended IMAX hours on
Friday and Saturday evenings. General admission prices are $14
for adults; $13 for seniors; $12 for children 3 to 12. Children
under 3 are free. A General Admission Ticket includes admission
to the Museum exhibits and one IMAX® film. The Museum of
Discovery and Science is located downtown at 401 SW Second
Street, Fort Lauderdale, Florida 33312. For more information
about the Museum, visitors should call (954) 467-MODS (6637) or
visit our web site at www.mods.org
ABOUT THE BLOCKBUSTER® IMAX® THEATER
The Blockbuster® IMAX® Theater owned and operated by the Museum
of Discovery and Science, opened in 1992. The 300-seat theater
is a showcase of state-of-the-art motion picture technology. The
Blockbuster® IMAX® Theater features a 60 ft. x 80 ft. screen and
a 15,000 watt digital sound system that delivers six discrete
channels of clear sound through 42 speakers. The IMAX®
projector’s 15,000 watt Xenon bulb projects images of
unsurpassed brilliance and clarity onto the five-story-high
screen. Both 2D and 3D films are shown in the theater. 3D films
are viewed using electronic headsets. The IMAX® experience is an
unparalleled fusion of sight and sound. For show times, visitors
should call 954-463-IMAX (4629) or visit our web site at
www.mods.org
Media Contact: Theresa Waldron 954.713.0901 email: twaldron@mods.net
Laura Nipe 954.713.0904 email: lnipe@mods.net
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