Imax screenings of new Cousteau film shed light on 'Secret Ocean'

Thanks to the new technology developed specifically for us, I immediately understood that this was a revolution in underwater filming that would allow us to capture a whole new range of behaviors I had never before witnessed in my 69 years of diving.

If you go

› What: Screenings of “Secret Ocean 3D.”› When: 4 and 8 p.m. Friday, May 20; 4, 6 and 8 p.m. Saturday, May 21; 4 and 6 p.m. Sunday, May 22.› Where: Tennessee Aquarium’s Imax Theater, 201 Chestnut St.› Admission: Nonmembers, $11.95 adults, $9.95 children 3-12; members, $8 children and adults; Imax Club passholders get in free.› Website: www.tnaqua.org/plan-your-visit/ticket-information.

Some of the world's most vibrant communities live in the ocean depths. This weekend, area residents can get a glimpse of these amazing places during special screenings of a new giant-screen film from scuba-diving legend Jean-Michel Cousteau.

"Secret Ocean" is the first Imax 3-D film to be directed by Cousteau. The conservationist chose to focus on the secret world within the ocean that is perhaps the biggest story of all - that the smallest life in the sea is the mightiest force on which we all depend.

Over three years in waters from the Bahamas to Fiji, more than 30 species of fascinating sea creatures, some no bigger than 1 inch, were filmed for the first time using new technologies. The crews captured animal behaviors in 3-D that have never been seen in theaters, thanks to ultra-high-definition, 5K cameras and slow motion, macro and motion-control techniques.

"Since the 1940s, the Cousteau family has been deeply connected to the water. Several generations have grown up with our Calypso adventures, which revealed to the public what was a totally unknown world at that time," says Cousteau.

"Thanks to the new technology developed specifically for us, I immediately understood that this was a revolution in underwater filming that would allow us to capture a whole new range of behaviors I had never before witnessed in my 69 years of diving. 'Secret Ocean 3D' takes us one step further in the discovery of the ocean in a way my father, Jacques Cousteau, could have only imagined."

He worked alongside marine biologist Holly Lohuis to provide this new view of the underwater world, its beauty and diversity.

The film is narrated by Dr. Sylvia Earle, who says the underwater film technology helps take away some of her "frustration of knowing that there was always more beyond what I could see."

Technology, she says, "is key to being able to see the ocean with new eyes. Thanks to the stunning Imax 3-D format, 'Secret Ocean 3D' allows us a deeper understanding of all life in the sea, the heart of our planet, and encourages us to take care of not only the large creatures, such as whales and dolphins, but also the tiny creatures that make the rest of life possible."

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