CLEVELAND (December 7, 2023) – The Cleveland Clinic DOME Theater at Great Lakes Science Center is set to premiere “The Arctic: Our Last Great Wilderness” on Friday, December 8, offering guests an amazing glimpse at this special place in the far north of Alaska on the giant screen!
“The Arctic: Our Last Great Wilderness” takes viewers to a place that is vast, wild and magical – where one of Earth’s greatest natural spectacles unfolds. Princess Daazhraii Johnson (Neet'saii Gwich'in) narrates and reveals the land that has sustained her people for untold generations. For the first time on the giant screen, experience a world that has evolved intact and untamed since the beginning of time.
The 19.6 million acres of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge are full of life and history. The land is home to hundreds of species of plants, birds, mammals, and fish. It supports Indigenous cultures and has global ecological importance.
Journey with National Geographic photographer Florian Schulz on his five-year quest to film the elusive 200,000 strong Porcupine caribou herd as it migrates to the Arctic Coastal Plain, one of the longest animal migrations on Earth. Filled with intimate moments featuring polar bears and musk oxen, wolves, grizzlies, golden eagles and more, “The Arctic: Our Last Great Wilderness” is the first cinematic exploration of a world few have truly seen until now. Experience this special place worth protecting.
“The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge is a special place. It has been my life’s work to document this last great wilderness with the hope it will be preserved for future generations. There is no better venue to bring the wonders of the Arctic to life than on the giant screen,” said Schulz.
This public land is at risk, and a companion campaign supported by the Campion Advocacy Fund, a leading champion to preserve the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, will advance awareness of the threat and opportunities to protect this unique land.
“The urgency to protect the Arctic Refuge, to defend the sacred, has never been greater,” said Princess Johnson. “Lending my voice to this film is lending my spirit to this work which I care so deeply about. The film is filled with wonder and spirit and I feel humbled to do my small part in opening the public’s eyes to the beauty of these lands. When I watch the image of the Porcupine caribou herd, I also feel the spirit of my Ancestors. It’s a deeply emotional sight to behold and I’m grateful that a larger audience might realize why this place is worth protecting.”
“The Arctic: Our Last Great Wilderness” was produced by Terra Mater Factual Studios, and written and directed by veteran producer Myles Connolly and the award-winning Schulz. For showtimes visit GreatScience.com.
Visit www.ProtectTheArctic.org and follow @ProTheArctic to learn more about the film and the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.
About Great Lakes Science Center
Great Lakes Science Center is one of the top ten museums in the nation as celebrated by the 2023 USA Today 10Best Readers’ Choice travel award for Best Science Museum. The Science Center is home to the NASA Glenn Visitor Center and makes science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) come alive for more than 300,000 visitors a year through hundreds of hands-on exhibits, temporary exhibitions, the Cleveland Clinic DOME Theater, historic Steamship William G. Mather, daily science demonstrations, seasonal camps, and more. The Science Center, a 501(c)(3) non-profit institution, earned a 2023 Platinum Seal of Transparency from Candid, a leading provider of insight and data about the non-profit world. The Science Center is supported in part by the residents of Cuyahoga County through a public grant from Cuyahoga Arts & Culture. Visit GreatScience.com for more information.