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Four Wings and a Prayer

2007 1 h 20 min
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Four Wings and a Prayer is a documentary about one of the world's most beautiful and mysterious creatures: the Monarch butterfly. Nowhere in nature is there a more powerful mix of scientific marvel, awesome beauty, and epic struggle for survival. What scientists are at a loss to fully explain is how the Monarch makes a seemingly impossible three thousand kilometre journey from Canada over mountains, through storms, and across large bodies of water to its small and remote over wintering grounds in the mountains of Mexico. Based on the book by Sue Halpern.

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Four Wings and a Prayer

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Four Wings and a Prayer is a documentary about one of the world's most beautiful and mysterious creatures: the Monarch butterfly. Nowhere in nature is there a more powerful mix of scientific marvel, awesome beauty, and epic struggle for survival. What scientists are at a loss to fully explain is how the Monarch makes a seemingly impossible three thousand kilometre journey from Canada over mountains, through storms, and across large bodies of water to its small and remote over wintering grounds in the mountains of Mexico. Based on the book by Sue Halpern.

  • based on the book
    Sue Halpern
  • narrator
    Kristin Scott Thomas
  • director
    Nick de Pencier
  • writer
    Kevin McMahon
  • cinematography
    Étienne Carton de Grammont
  • composer
    Jorge Arriagada
  • editor
    Christopher Donaldson
    Robert Swartz
  • commissioning editor
    Michael Burns
    Yves Jeanneau
    Fabrice Puchault
    Olivier Stroh
  • producer
    Gerry Flahive
    Kristina McLaughlin
    Michael McMahon
    Emmanuel Laurent
    David Johnston
  • executive producer
    Michael McMahon
    Emmanuel Laurent
    Silva Basmajian
  • sound designer
    Jean-Mard Lentretien
  • sound recordist
    Henri Maïkoff
    François Waledish
  • camera assistant
    Onno Weeda
  • associate producer
    Chanda Chevannes
  • production manager
    Lisa Broadfoot
    Chanda Chevannes
    Béatrice Barbat
    Luis Delgado
    Martin de La Fouchardière
    Grazia Rade
  • production coordinator
    Jennifer Huard
    Erika Flores
    Christine Kleckner
    Jen Mulqueen
  • accounting
    Pascale Beluardo
    Michel Gire
  • butterfly wrangler
    Ken McGrath
  • additional camera
    Nick de Pencier
    Jonathan Dueck
  • additional editing
    Roland Schlimme
  • wescam operator
    Chris Chanda
  • helicopter pilot
    Dave Tomassini
  • helicopter rental
    Four Seasons Aviation
  • crane operator
    Kim Stephenson
  • steadicam operator
    Brad Hruboska
    David Lightner
  • additional camera assistant
    Roland Schlotzhauer
    Paula Tumchuk
  • additional sound recordist
    Nick de Pencier
    Jonathan Dueck
  • grip
    Stephen Papadimitriou
    Joe Turner
  • production assistant
    Tara Maher
    Alexandra Wawryn
  • colour grading artist
    David Hedley
    Laurent Souchaud
  • compositing artist
    Mark Driver
    Julien Record
    Bruno Carreta
    Patrick Siboni
    Benjamin Ravalec
  • research and development
    Cédric Plessiet
  • on-line assistant
    Ashleigh Hutchcroft
    Eric Wheatley
  • producer (development)
    Jane Crawford
    Paul Moyer
  • graphic design
    Lolet Ong
    Franck Montagné
  • infographist
    Claire Collange
    Julien Record
    Lolet Ong
    Astrida Uche
  • mixer
    Patrick Ghislain

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