ISLAND of LEMURS: MADAGASCAR

2014, Warner Brothers

Live action

Rating: G

Approx. 40 mins.

THE STORY:

This documentary introduces the lemur, a close relative of the human species who now lives only on the island of Madagascar. Following along with Professor Patricia Wright, one of the world's foremost lemur experts, we get a long glimpse of how their communities are organized and how they are struggling to adapt to their changing environment. 

QUESTIONABLE LANGUAGE:

• none

VIOLENCE:

• none

TEACHING POINTS:

• tonnes about the origins, lifestyles and communities of lemurs
• non-cloying presentation of the dangers of habitat destruction/ deforestation 

THE UPSHOT:

What's not to like? I learned more about the world in this 40 minutes than I did all week. And I enjoyed the experience. The wilds of Madagascar are captured in glorious cinematography which is in turn shown off to advantage through the wonders of IMAX. The content is informative rather than pedantic, and well-presented through animation, documentary footage and narrative. 

One of the things I liked most about this film was the way it presented the issue of lemur habitat loss with subtlety rather than simply as evil humans vs. defenseless animals. It is suggested that the island's human and animal residents share the same conflicting needs, and that both are legitimate. A great catalyst for discussion and thought.   

5/5