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Los
Angeles – Sweeping panoramas
of the rugged American West and stunning
aerial photography bring one of the greatest
adventures in American history to life in Lewis & Clark:
Great Journey West, opening at the California
Science Center IMAX Theater, October 1, 2004.
A National Geographic production, the film
tells the story of the team’s arduous
expedition from 1803 to 1806, the spectacular
wildlife they encountered, the punishing
winters they endured, the diverse Native
American tribes they met and the breathtaking
vistas the explorers experienced on their
legendary journey into uncharted territory.
At
the turn of the 19th century, what is now the
Western United States was virtually unknown
to American settlers. It was believed at the
time that woolly mammoths still roamed the
plains and stories were told of erupting volcanoes
and the lost tribes of Israel. Thomas Jefferson,
the visionary third president of the United
States, was captivated by the stories of the
West and longed to have it explored. Jefferson
commissioned his aide, Meriwether Lewis, to
lead an expedition across the United States,
pushing onward through foreign land to the
Pacific Ocean.
In
1803, the unexpected acquisition of the Louisiana
Territory vastly increased the size of the
United States and meant that Lewis and Clark
would be the first to scientifically explore
this new American land. The main mission was
to find the legendary “Northwest Passage,” a
water route thought to connect the Atlantic
and Pacific Oceans, if found, it would have
been immensely valuable to intercontinental
trade and given great power to the nation who
controlled it.
Lewis & Clark:
Great Journey West follows the grueling
8,000-mile expedition past buffalo-filled
prairies, through thick forests and raging
river rapids, over towering peaks and plunging
precipices. The film opens with the expedition’s
launch up the great Missouri River with modern-day
watermen portraying the Corps of Discovery,
giving it a rare and gritty authenticity.
It captures the wonder of spectacularly pristine
wilderness as the Expedition crosses the
Great Plains and the treacherous Rocky Mountains
and perches atop the Continental Divide,
discovering that the Northwest Passage did
not exist. Viewers can watch as Lewis and
Clark document plant specimens and animals
unknown to science, meet with Native American
tribes; and paddle down the mighty Columbia
River to their ultimate destination – the
Pacific Ocean.
Lewis & Clark:
Great Journey West reveals how the success
of the trek was dependent on the generosity
of Native American tribes. In particular,
one young Indian interpreter, Sacagawea,
who accompanied the small expedition with
her infant son, provided invaluable guidance
and assistance. The film dramatizes, as never
before, the beauty, danger, and glory of
the epic journey the Corps of Discovery undertook.
Lewis & Clark:
Great Journey West reunites producer
Lisa Truitt and director Bruce Neibaur, the
highly successful veteran filmmaking team
behind National Geographic’s first
large-format film, Mysteries of Egypt, which
has already grossed more than $70 million
worldwide, making it one of the top five
grossing large-format films ever released. “This
is an incredible story of the American experience,” says
Truitt, executive producer at National Geographic. “What
Lewis and Clark accomplished was an extraordinary
feat of fortitude and luck. They had no solid
knowledge about the land they were going
to traverse and what little information they
had was strikingly wrong. They faced unbelievable
danger with tremendous courage. Historians
say that their journey was our equivalent
of a trip to the moon.”
Made
possible through the funding by Eddie Bauer,
Inc. and Suzzane and Walter Scott Foundation,
the film is produced by National Geographic
Television and Film, distributed by Destination
Cinema, Inc. and is endorsed by the National
Council of the Lewis & Clark Bicentennial.
The
42-minute film is narrated by actor Jeff Bridges
and features an original score by Emmy Award-winning
composer Sam Cardon. It is directed by Bruce
Neibaur, produced by Jeff T. Miller and Lisa
Trutt, filmed by director of Photography T.C.
Chritensen, and features a script by veteran
screenwriter Mose Richards. Noted Lewis and
Clark expert Gary Moulton and historian and
National Geographic Explorer-in-Residence Stephen
E. Ambrose served as film consultants.
Editor's
Note: California Science
Center, located at 700 State Drive in Exposition
Park, Los Angeles, is open daily from 10
a.m. to 5 p.m., except Thanksgiving, Christmas
and New Year’s Day. Admission to
the permanent exhibitions is free. IMAX
Theater tickets range from $4.50-$7.50.
For recorded information on IMAX show times,
phone (213) 744-7400. For advance ticket
purchases, group rates, or to make reservations
for any visiting group of 15 or more (required),
call (213) 744-2019. Parking is available
in the guest lot at Figueroa and 39th Street
at $6 per car. Both the Science Center
and the IMAX Theater are wheelchair accessible.
For general information, phone (323) SCIENCE
or visit our web site at www.californiasciencecenter.org.
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