Wednesday, April 4, 2001
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Wednesday, April 4, 2001 |
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Film at Fernbank takes viewers into amazing caves By MICHAEL
BOYLAN
Have you ever wondered how caves are formed or how microorganisms can survive so far below the surface? The makers of "Journey Into Amazing Caves," the new IMAX film at Fernbank, did, and the answers will astound you. The film takes viewers into caves within the walls of the Grand Canyon as well as into glaciers in Greenland and beneath the rain forests of Mexico's Mayan jungle. The two explorers are cave rescue specialist Nancy Aulenbach, a Montessori school teacher assistant from Norcross, and Hazel Barton, a microbiologist and a director of the National Speleological Society. The two women, and the crew with the cameras, rappel down sheer cliff faces, dive underground rivers and crawl and wriggle through many tight squeezes. Every state in the country has caves, and Aulenbach and Barton travel into several different types in the film. The solutional caves in the canyon areas and cave diving scenes are more commonly referred to as limestone caves and have been formed by the dissolution of groundwater. Ice caves are formed when running water erodes and melts tunnels or chambers in the ice. At the heart of the film is the triumph of the two young women, part of a new movement of extreme athletes and scientists who gather knowledge and data in treacherous zones of the environment. As they cave, they search for "extremophiles," tiny organisms known to survive in the world's most unforgiving environments. "These extremophiles are valuable because of their enzymes that aid in genetic research, such as DNA profiling, and could prove to be beneficial in treating human illness," said Fernbank Museum's director of external programs, Anita Kern. "Journey into Amazing Caves" is narrated by internationally acclaimed actor Liam Neeson and features songs and performances by the classic rock band The Moody Blues. National Geographic Books will release two companion books in conjunction with the release of the film: "Caves: Exploring Hidden Realms," by renowned caving journalist Michael Ray Taylor, and a children's book, "Exploring Caves," by film stars Aulenbach and Barton. To learn more, visit www.fernbank.edu/museum. The film runs through Sept. 3, and will be shown Monday-Saturday at 11 a.m., 1, 3 and 5 p.m., Sundays at 1, 3 and 5, p.m. and at 8 and 10 p.m. Fridays for Martinis and IMAX. Films and show times are subject to change. Purchase tickets at 404-929-6400 $10 for adults, $9 for students and seniors and $8 for children. |
