Volcanoes of the Deep Sea

Volcanoes of the Deep Sea
Directed by Stephen Low
Produced by James Cameron
Alex Low
Pietro L. Serapiglia
Written by Alex Low
Stephen Low
Narrated by Ed Harris
Music by Michel Cusson
Cinematography William Reeve
Edited by James Lahti
Release dates
  • September 14, 2003
Running time
 40 minutes
Country United States
Language English

Volcanoes of the Deep Sea is a 2003 documentary film directed by Stephen Low in the IMAX format about undersea volcanoes.

Production

Richard Lutz served as Principal Investigator and Lutz and Peter A. Rona served as Science Directors of the film, which was funded by the National Science Foundation and co-produced by Rutgers University.[1]

Content

The film included footage, research, and stories from the deep-sea Alvin expeditions of Lutz and his colleagues.[2]

Scientists use the deep-water submersible DSV Alvin to search for an animal, the paleodictyon nodosum, that produces a honeycomb patterned fossil called a Paleodictyon, near volcanic vents that lie 3500 meters (12,000 feet) underwater in the Mid-Atlantic Ridge.

Reception

The film received the award for "best IMAX film of the Year" at the Paris Film Festival,[3] and in 2005 Richard Lutz received the Scientific Literacy Achievement Award from the New Jersey Association for Biomedical Research for his contributions to the film.[1]

The film was not shown in some US theatres because it was feared that the film's mention of evolution would provoke a negative reaction from creationist patrons. In particular, the film discussed the similarities in bacterial and human DNA.[4][5] The film's distributor reported that the only U.S. states with theaters which chose not to show the film were Texas, Georgia, North Carolina, and South Carolina:

"We've got to pick a film that's going to sell in our area. If it's not going to sell, we're not going to take it," said the director of an IMAX theater in Charleston that is not showing the movie. "Many people here believe in creationism, not evolution."[6]

See also

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 "Richard A. Lutz - Professor". Rutgers. Retrieved 2011-05-28.
  2. ↑ Walcott-Quintin, Paula (February 28, 2011). "Noted Marine Biologist to Head Marine and Coastal Sciences Institute at Rutgers". Rutgers. Retrieved 2011-05-28.
  3. ↑ "Exploration on the Origin of Life - Exciting Discoveries at Deep-sea Hydrothermal Vents". Tsinghua University. Retrieved 2011-05-28.
  4. ↑ SPACE.com - Censoring Science: IMAX and Evolution
  5. ↑ "Imax cinemas refuse volcano film". BBC News. 2005-03-24.
  6. ↑ Evolution Reference Hurts Volcano Film

External links