The Big Pink
The sex lives of flamingos may seem an unusual premise for a Disney nature film but documentarians MATTHEW AEBERHAND and LENDER WARD weave cinematic magic from this most unlikely of source materials.
Tara Brady, 25 Sep 2009
Once a year, beneath a Tanzanian volcano, most of the world’s flamingos congregate with the express purpose of getting it on. The pinkest birds, coloured by algae unique to this breeding ground, get first pick. But not before all two million specimens bump and grind against one another as part of the planet’s biggest orgiastic dance.
Good grief. Can this spectacle really be part of a Disney film?
“To be fair,” laughs co-director, Leander Ward, “the actual sex is very, very brief. We were already developing the film before Disney came along, but they were great. We were free to film the birds with no interference. It was a fantastic opportunity.”
“We had enormous freedom,” adds his partner in crime, Matthew Aeberhand. “They actually encouraged a personal take on nature. They didn’t want something that looked exactly like a David Attenborough film. They wanted something that was all our own work.”
The results of their labours are plain to see in Crimson Wing, a gorgeous ornithological epic that charts the scarcely believable mating habits of the most flamboyant looking creatures in the entire animal kingdom.
“It seems extraordinary,” says director, Matthew Aeberhand. “But there is no base data for the flamingos and their breeding behaviour at Lake Natron. We have no way of determining if the population is dropping. It seemed to us that it was very important to call attention to the flamingos and this amazing otherworldly place. More people have visited the moon than have been here. Even though this is also the spot where humanity comes from.”
The project has more than tail feathers riding on it. As the noughties got into full swing, it became increasingly apparent that Disney needed a shot in the arm. Hollywood’s most recognisable brand promptly swung into action, buying up Pixar and assorted competitors, and getting back to basics. Proper line animation and nature films were once again priorities for the House of Mouse. Walt Disney, you may recall, scored multiple Oscars for his True Life Adventure series over 17 films and three decades. Now, Disney Nature, a smart new independent unit, is out to add to the silverware tally.
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