MacGillivray Freeman Films Educational Foundation focuses on a variety of important topics related to conservation of ecological and natural resources, as well as the celebration of cultural history. Browse through our past projects—and their important related topics that need the attention of concerned film enthusiasts.
- Grand Canyon Adventure: River At Risk
- Hurricane on the Bayou
- Coral Reef Adventure
- Greece: Secrets of the Past
Grand Canyon Adventure: River at Risk
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Ryan and new friend Jimmy
after first well was built in Uganda. |
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At the end of our film, audiences are encouraged to make a difference for water conservation. We encourage water-saving activities in your home (see www.grandcanyonadventurefilm.com to learn more) and we also highlight a young man who is making a difference for those suffering from the world water crisis across the globe.
Ryan Hreljac was just 6 years old when he learned from his first grade teacher that people were dying in Africa from lack of safe drinking water. In fact, one million children each year die from water-related illnesses. Knowing in his heart that everyone deserves clean drinking water, Ryan began saving his pennies from household chores. What began as a $70 venture, grew to a campaign and the Ryan’s Well Foundation. Ten years later, Ryan and his Foundation have raised millions of dollars, helping support the building of 329 wells in 14 countries.
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Ryan in 2006 at the first well he supported in Uganda. |
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In 2008, on World Water Day (March 22) and Earth Day (April 22), we’ll donate $1 from every ticket sold to Grand Canyon Adventure: River at Risk to support Ryan’s Well Foundation and their efforts to build wells at schools in northern Uganda. In this conflict-torn area, young people have been missing a vital link to their future – good education at a school that is healthy and safe. Funds raised will support wells at four to nine primary schools. Every dollar we raise will be matched by another donor, yielding twice the impact. Help us help the children and their teachers in northern Uganda. Ryan Hreljac has proven that one determined person, no matter their age, can make a difference. Click on our Donate link and let us know you want to make a difference, too. 100% of your donation will support this project. Learn more about Ryan’s Well at www.ryanswell.ca.
Hurricane on the Bayou
| “Nature has provided us with a vital first line of defense against hurricanes, but unless we start rebuilding the lost wetlands, New Orleans and other American cities will remain in peril.” |
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-- Greg MacGillivray, Producer/Director, Hurricane on the Bayou |
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Wetlands loss currently causes the state of Louisiana to lose an incredible 16,000 acres of land each and every year.
Just imagine a chunk of land the size of a tennis court being submerged into the open water every 13 seconds (source: national Wetlands Research Center) and you get a picture of how quickly the coast of Louisiana is disappearing. It is this same marshy land—land that teems with widely varied wildlife, fertile agriculture, major industry and one-of-a-kind culture—that in the past served as a vital “speed bump” that helped to slow hurricane damage and protect Louisiana from the tragic flooding of storm surges.
Louisiana’s unique geography—placed as it is where the grand Mississippi River meets the sea—means that it contains some 40% (according to the National Wetlands Research Center) of the coastal wetlands in the entire United States. The richness of this area has been an economic boon to Louisiana and made it a major strand in the web of the US economy, with significant contributions to shipping, oil, natural gas, seafood, and tourism. The wetlands are also home to in incredible, irreplaceable array of life with some 400 different species, many of them endangered.
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But like all the world’s most beautiful things, the Mississippi Delta has also proved fragile. Engineering has altered the Mississippi’s flow, and levees and jetties have stopped crucial sediments from feeding the deltas. Without those nutrient-filled deposits, the land began to sink away. Swamps were drained to make way for housing and farms; and channels were dug into the wetlands, allowing salt-water to invade fresh-water marshes in doses deadly enough to kill off life-sustaining trees and grasses, while further increasing erosion.
Experts predict that, without any action, the Gulf of Mexico will have moved 30 miles inland by the year 2050 and that the millions of people who make the area their home will be completely vulnerable to any storms that might hit. The list of what needs to be done is lengthy but includes barrier island restoration; the establishment and preservation of grassbeds; re-evaluation of levees; redirecting the Mississippi River’s silt to replenish the wetlands; the creation of potential diversion plans; experimentation with new dredge materials; and educating a new batch of young scientists whose life work will be to restore and preserve these vital areas of the US coast.
| “…the powerful film is a clarion call for the restoration of the wetlands that protect coastal communities…. The moving film mourns what New Orleans has lost and celebrates what it could be again if the rebuilding is approached sensibly…. MacGillivray, in walking such a fine line between tragedy and triumph in the tone of his film, is working at the top of his game. ---(4 stars out of 4)” |
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-- Michael H. Kleinschrodt, New Orleans Times Picayune |
A Call to Action:
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Director Greg MacGillivray emphasizes that a problem of this magnitude needs to be addressed at the highest levels of the U.S. Government—and hopes that Congressional leadership, under pressure from ordinary citizens, will help fund projects that desperately need to be put under way in short order.
Says MacGillivray: “It’s going to require a lot of money, a lot of dedication and a lot of volunteers. Already, school kids are starting to go out and plant mangroves, but it’s a big problem and it’s not an easy fix. There are dozens of different programs that are going to be needed and there needs to be a coordinated effort in order to have success.”
We are encouraged by the recent passage of a U.S. Congress bill that will direct off-shore oil and natural gas revenues toward the restoration of Louisiana’s wetlands and the levees. Hundreds of millions of dollars will be used for wetlands conservation in the coming years. Hurricane on the Bayou was shown to members of Congress by Louisiana’s Senator Landrieu during this process. We hope the film contributed – made a positive impact -- on Congress’ impressions and actions.
To find out more about the wetlands crisis or to take action:
Coral Reef Adventure
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 A coral reef—a world that has been called the “soul of the sea”—is where some of the planet’s most diverse, fascinating and mysterious landscapes and creatures exist hidden from our sight. It is a world few human beings will ever experience up close, yet one that helps sustain the very balance of life on earth—and one that might contain unforeseen solutions to human medical problems. Only now it is under siege.
Coral reefs comprise just one percent of the ocean, yet nurture one-quarter of all marine life. Built over hundreds of thousands of years by tiny coral animals, reefs are in dangerous decline. Over-fishing, coastal development, and rising sea temperatures have already killed ten percent of the world’s reefs; nearly one-quarter are actively suffering, and more than half are seriously threatened.
Howard Hall: “Coral reefs thrive on partnerships, and one of the most important partnerships right now is that between humans and the sea. The more people learn about the great impact we have on these often unseen but always vital underwater communities, the harder I think we’ll see people trying to live in better harmony with the reefs.”
How you can help save the world's reefs:
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In a scene from Coral Reef Adventure, divers conduct a reef survey to collect data on the health of coral reefs. Click image to enlarge
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The first thing interested film-goers can do is to become informed. Other than dedicated divers, most people have never had a chance to explore a coral reef, let alone learn about their incredible potential to sustain and enhance life. While most land surfaces on earth have been extensively mapped and explored, only 10% of the known reefs in the Pacific Ocean have even been visited by scientists!
Greg MacGillivray: “Everyone involved in this film shared the same goal: to make Coral Reef Adventure an exciting, emotional film that will open many people’s eyes to the severe and complex stresses which threaten corals—and open their hearts to the beauty of the reefs, so that they may understand, as never before, the absolute and urgent need to find sustainable means of preserving them.”
“We all have a stake in the future survival of coral reefs, not just those who live near them,” explains Dr. Gregor Hodgson, Professor at UCLA’s Institute of the Environment and Director of Reef Check. “For someone living in Kansas with cancer, a rare coral reef sponge may hold the secret to the cure he needs to survive.”
Adds Osha Gray Davidson, the script’s co-writer, “No other ecosystem plays such a large role in ordering life on earth. Reefs, not rainforests, are the planetary centers of biodiversity. I hope everyone will be touched by the majesty of reefs, and be moved to do what they can to help save them.”
How this film has inspired others:
| “We don’t inherit the earth from our parents, we borrow it from our children. So says one of the scientists in Coral Reef Adventure, and it’s not a bad idea to get those children involved now in the idea that they could be the planet’s stewards. This big, beautiful film, at the Omnimax® Theater at the Museum of Science and Industry through the summer, does just that.” |
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-- Reviewer from Chicago Sun-Times |
| “I just saw Coral Reef Adventure yesterday – I cried during parts of it sometimes because of the beauty and sometimes because of the damage…it has changed my life....” |
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--Viewer in North Carolina |
| “I’m motivated! This film inspired me to share your concern with saving the reefs.” |
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--Teenage viewer in Los Angeles |
| “The ocean has now become my family’s obsession!” |
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– A San Jose viewer interviewed three months after seeing the film.
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Coral Reef Adventure attracted the attention of national and international decision-makers when it was shown at the World Summit on Sustainable Development in Johannesburg, South Africa and at Capitol Hill Oceans Week, a three-day series of events and seminars hosted by the legislative House Oceans Caucus in 2003. Other important awareness and fundraising events involving the film included:
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Special Screening for Nation’s Top Math & Science Teachers
In March 2003, National Science Foundation hosted a screening of Coral Reef Adventure for over 200 of the nation’s top math and science teachers for grades K-12. The screening was part of the White House-sponsored annual Presidential Teachers Awards program, which recognizes teachers for their excellence in math and science teaching. This is the third film produced by MFF to be featured at an annual Presidential Teachers Awards event. |
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Fundraiser For Reef Conservation – San Jose
In a powerful example of how Coral Reef Adventure can be used to directly benefit coral conservation, the Tech Museum of Innovation and the non-profit Coral Reef Alliance hosted a special Earth Day benefit screening in San Jose just two weeks after the film’s premiere. The event, which included a live auction hosted by actor William Shatner, raised $69,000 for coral reef conservation. |
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Reef Rescue 2003 – Los Angeles
A Hollywood celebrity benefit for the non-profit reef monitoring organization, Reef Check, raised over $100,000 for reef conservation and research. |
Greece: Secrets of the Past
Why preserving culture is important:
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Archaeology and anthropology provide glimpses into the history, the nature, and the growth of humanity. It is through patient discovery that scientists patch together the routes we have taken as a people—and even where we might be headed.
So often, when it comes to preservation, we are familiar with discussing the loss of an ecosystem, or a species, or the character of an area. With human history, we lose the past every day. Languages slowly disappear when they are not used; traditional music fades away as the last remaining instrument’s strings disintegrate; entire ways of life are lost when modern civilization replaces the old ways. And these examples apply to the last vestiges of practices and knowledge that still exists today—consider the same concepts over the millennia. In the history of people, sweeping changes have taken place on this planet, and evidence is waiting to be discovered.
When captured on film, the adventure of discovery is available for viewers worldwide. That’s why we support preserving past cultures by utilizing the technology of our current culture. We learn about other lands, other achievements, other disasters, and ourselves.
Preserving the Golden Age of Greece:
A Living Laboratory:
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Greece: Secrets of the Past provides a “living laboratory” as an example of the benefit of archaeology and anthropology. “Because ancient Greece is where many of our own ideas about democracy, human achievement and freedom were first born, it is more important to us than ever,” notes producer/director Greg MacGillivray. “Our film is like a form of time travel—we go back to figure out what happened and why. Audiences will have the chance to explore archeological ruins, sift through volcanic sands, and examine thought-provoking legends for clues to how the Greeks lived and perished. Most of all, I hope the film leaves audiences with a sense of the profound lessons the classical Greeks left behind for today’s world.”
In a professional film study conducted by Dr. Arthur Johnson of Edumetrics at Boston’s Museum of Science, Greece: Secrets of the Past proved to change the public’s attitudes about archeological preservation and protection. Though many adult and student viewers felt that it was important to preserve and protect archeological sites even before seeing the film, the number who felt this way increased significantly, on average, after seeing the film. Both students and adults also cited the film’s educational value as one of the aspects of the film they most enjoyed. Johnson regularly conducts summative evaluations on MFF Educational Foundation films with both student and adult audiences.
Two pieces of the past: Myths and history:
Greece provided our standards in art, politics, and the very concept of culture. But how does that work? What does “culture” mean exactly? In making Greece: Secrets of the Past, filmmakers were able to explore some of the most intriguing components of the human experience, and how archaeologists and anthropologists piece together our past—and our present.
For example, consider one of our most enduring myths: Atlantis. Did it ever exist? The massive excavation of Akrotiri, a town that was buried nearly intact under volcanic ash some 3,000 years ago, is occurring today on the Greek island of Santorini. Some wonder if the surprisingly modern-seeming lives of these early Bronze Age Greeks reflect the origin of the Atlantis story. Most archeologists and other scientists agree, however, that Atlantis is a wonderful myth, and what they’re learning about the people and culture of this island from 35 centuries past, is so much more intriquing.
Ancient Greece also holds the keys to many other locks of human culture. For example, Greece’s incredible rise—the almost unimaginable developments in human thought that occurred so quickly—suddenly ceased. Why? As scriptwriter Steve Judson explains, “Sometimes the ancient past can seem so inaccessible and mysterious, but I hope what we reveal in Greece: Secrets of the Past is that the past is actually very much alive and there are so many strong, fascinating and even cautionary parallels between our lives and our politics today and those of Greece 2,000 years ago. By learning about the past, we can learn a lot about how to make better decisions now and in the future.”
With just these two examples, Akrotiri and the “secrets of the fall,” it is clear that preserving the heritage of Greece is essential to us as a species. Greece is the template for the flow of our development, and what we can learn there is literally endless.
World Heritage Sites
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) World Heritage Committee administers the international World Heritage Programme—whose mission is to catalogue, name, and conserve sites of outstanding cultural or natural importance to the common heritage of humanity. The Programme nominates UNESCO World Heritage Sites, which are specific locations (anything from a forest, mountain, lake, or desert, to a monument, building, complex, or city) that have been confirmed for inclusion on the worldwide list. A total of 830 “properties” are listed: 644 cultural, 162 natural, and 24 mixed, in 138 countries. There are 16 World Heritage Sites in Greece, including the Acropolis and several archaeological excavations.
While each World Heritage Site remains the property of the country in which it is located, all designated sites are considered important to the international community, and their conservation is a common goal among all World Heritage countries.
Each World Heritage Site—and others that have yet to make the list—contains the kinds of lessons we have learned and continue to unearth in Greece. What is required for the MFF Educational Foundation to share these incredibly important stories with the film-going public is partnership. Associated with each rich cultural site are local experts, scientists, and, hopefully, responsible preservation groups. When we work together with these “people in the know,” we are able to assemble a team that can bring each story to the screen.
For example, for Greece: Secrets of the Past, we worked in association with the Canadian Museum of Civilization, Museum Film Network, and the National Science Foundation. However, the film became a reality when one individual, Greek-American entrepreneur Alex Spanos, became an enthusiastic supporter and executive producer.
If you have special knowledge and connections to a World Heritage Site, or other deserving locations, consider innovative ways to create a film project development team. You can also learn more about World Heritage Sites and cultural preservation at http://whc.unesco.org/ .
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