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Mysteries of the Great Lakes premieres at IMAX
nwi.com
May 7, 2009
PORTAGE – Locals may take the Great Lakes for granted and those who've never seen the beauty of lakes Huron, Ontario, Michigan, Erie and Superior may not appreciate their grandeur.
A new film, "Mysteries of the Great Lakes," hopes to introduce the wonders - and importance - of the world's largest source of fresh water to those living beyond its shores.
The film premiered locally for a one-night showing on the IMAX screen at the Portage 16/IMAX on Wednesday night, sponsored by the Ports of Indiana and Federal Marine Terminals, Inc.
"The social, economical and environmental vitality of these lakes is of the utmost importance to those of us in Northwest Indiana. It is not only a source of social enjoyment, but also a source of wealth for the region," said Rich Cooper, chief executive officer of the Port of Indiana.
The 45-minute film, which will be showing at the Museum of Science and Industry's Henry Crown Space Center Omnimax Theater in Chicago through October, explores the history and ecology of the Great Lakes including clean-up efforts. It focuses not only on the fish and wildlife that depends on its waters, but also on the human impact - good and bad - on the waterways. Some 300 people attended the Wednesday night event.
"The Great Lakes are a wonder of the world," said Michel Tosini, executive vice president of FMT, one of several groups that sponsored the production of the $6 million film by Science North of Sudbury, Ontario, Canada.
"The Great Lakes are very important to us. We carry cargo around the world. We felt it was important to draw attention to environmental issues and being involved in the film was a good way to get our message out," added Ian Hirt, general manager of FMT. "It is the lifeblood of the Midwest and we wanted to get the word out to the people of the world."
Hirt said he was impressed with the film when he first saw it in Chicago and the story it told of its 10,000 miles of shoreline and of the 40 million people who live along its shores in the United States and Canada.
