SIF attends Aldabra 3D film premiere in Prague |30 November 2015

The long-awaited premiere of the 3D film ‘Aldabra: Once upon an Island’ was screened in Prague, Czech Republic on Thursday last week.  

Seychelles Islands Foundation (SIF) chairman, Ambassador Maurice Loustau-Lalanne, and SIF chief executive Dr Frauke Fleischer-Dogley were in Prague to attend the first showing of this new and exciting film that truly brings the wonders of Aldabra to life.

‘Aldabra: Once upon an Island’ was the third most watched film nationwide on its opening weekend in Prague with over 1500 paying visitors.
 
After its worldwide premiere in Seychelles the film will be released in cinemas in the USA & Canada followed by UK, France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Russia, China, Korea, Japan and the rest of the world. The date for the premiere in Seychelles is not confirmed yet but it is hoped to be released shortly.  

The 73-minute long film was produced and directed by Czech film company Starlite Pictures in collaboration with Disney. The film is described as ‘An adventurous 3D expedition to the shores of a mysterious island lost in the waters of the Indian Ocean. To an atoll, which has stubbornly rejected human life yet is home to a community of exotic animal characters and their entertaining tales.

 Cross your fingers as turtle hatchlings tumble into lethal shallows teeming with hungry sharks. Gaze in wonder at the world’s largest terrestrial crabs clambering up palm trees in search of juicy coconuts. Hold your breath in awe as a giant grouper fearlessly guards an ancient shipwreck against all comers. Discover how the giant prehistoric tortoises live together with their babies. Explore an island, which has risen from the sea only to be engulfed once again by ocean currents and rising seas. Meet our heroes, Elvi, Tory, robber Buster, Snooper, fighter Luis and many others in the story full of excitement, emotions and unexpected twists. “Discover Aldabra before it’s lost!” Ambassador Loustau-Lalanne said of the film. “This 3D movie is unique in that it is for the whole family to enjoy, not just scientists, environmentalists and conservationists. Rather than actors we have our own iconic animals of Aldabra leading the story, making it better than a wildlife documentary any day.”

With the support of SIF, the film crew from Starlite Pictures visited Aldabra in 2011 to undertake the complex and difficult process of obtaining footage for the film.  As would be expected of filming in such a remote and hostile location there were many set-backs, including complications with the expedition vessel and finding the required escort of seven armed bodyguards (due to piracy activities in the area at the time). Of course there was also various dramatic situations regarding the technology and logistics during filming, for instance being in a lagoon full of sharks and one of the world´s fiercest tidal rips. With the excellent support of the SIF staff on the atoll however, the film crew successfully captured many of the unique flora and fauna of the atoll and the production of this film was underway.  A film that includes powerful scenes such as the dramatic birth of green turtle hatchlings and their courageous dash through the shallow coastal waters that are teeming with sharks. Audiences can look forward to exciting scenes such as this and much more in Aldabra, the 3D wildlife adventure feature produced by Starlite Pictures.
More details on the film and a trailer can be found at www.aldabra3D.com