Discover the Beauty and the Intrigue of Amazon
Large-format film at Fernbank explores the Amazon River

ATLANTA (Oct. 10) — It is the mightiest river in the world, the lifeblood for whole civilizations and home to more than 5,000 different species of fish and 60,000 different species of plants that live on its banks. The Amazon River, a place of beauty, intrigue and abundance, is profiled in a 40-minute, Academy Award®-nominated large-format film that takes audiences on a journey of discovery of the river's wonders, inhabitants and remarkable healing powers. Amazon shows daily at Fernbank Museum’s IMAX® Theatre from February 11–August 13, 2006.

   For centuries, the mighty Amazon River has been the obsession of explorers, scientists and anthropologists the world over. Now, Academy Award®-winning director Kieth Merrill reveals the wonders of the Amazon to filmgoers everywhere. Amazon was filmed entirely in the Amazon Basin and features narration by Academy Award®-winning actress Linda Hunt, with music by Alan Williams.

   Amazon tells the captivating story of two "medicine men" from vastly different worlds, who share a common quest. The film follows tribal shaman Julio Mamani and American ethnobotanist Dr. Mark Plotkin on their journeys through the Amazon to find the medicinal qualities of native plants. Here, Western medical science meets the myth and magic of Indian shamanism, a very real collaboration that may bring cures to diseases not yet conquered.

   "There may be a remedy for every ailment known to man right here," says Plotkin in the film. "Some argue that the treasure of the rain forest is the plants, but the key to that treasure is the knowledge of the people."

   Amazon will complement Chocolate: The Exhibition, which also will be on view at the Museum from February 11–August 13, 2006. Chocolate explores the plant, products, history and culture behind the delectable treat.

   “This film is the perfect pairing to Chocolate, since both reveal the everyday products that originate in the rainforests of our planet,” said Susan Neugent, Fernbank Museum president and CEO. “Amazon looks at both the many food products and medicines that originate in the rainforest, while Chocolate focuses on the cacao tree first found there and the indigenous peoples who prepared its seeds as a frothy drink. Both the film and exhibition work perfectly to continue Fernbank's commitment to bring educational and entertaining programs on our environment and human culture.” 

   Along the journey, filmgoers are guided through the Amazon region. From its source high in the Andes and through rain forests across South America, they are introduced to an exotic menagerie of animals, including the jaguar, tapir, pipa toad and sloth. In addition, viewers become part of a "you-are-there" experience with several water creatures, such as pink dolphins, electric eels, piranhas and pirarucus—fish that can attain a length of 15 feet and weigh up to 500 pounds.

   Another view of the Amazon region is offered through the eyes of modern-day explorer Sydney Possuelo, who introduces filmgoers to the Zoë—the most recently contacted indigenous tribe in the Amazon rain forest, and one of the many tribes who call the Amazon home.

   Amazon opens a world of beauty, mystique and importance to filmgoers that will stay with them long after leaving Fernbank’s theater—providing both an educational and entertaining experience as only a large-format film can.

   Amazon will show daily in Fernbank Museum’s IMAX® Theatre, from February 11–August 13, 2006. IMAX® tickets are $10 for adults, $9 for students/seniors, $8 for children 12 and under, and $6 for members. Combination tickets, which are valid for IMAX® admission and Museum admission, and include the Chocolate exhibition, are $17 for adults, $15 for students and seniors, and $13 for children. For tickets call 404.929.6400. For more information and show times call 404.929.6300 or visit www.fernbank.edu/museum .