Movie Review: "Seasons" at UICA

"Seasons," directed by Jacques Perrin and Jacques Cluzaud, brings us face-to-face with nature in the most intimate way. We, as an audience, get to experience earth’s abounding beauty through stunning cinematography and a unique story line.

"Seasons" captures nature at its finest but also highlights the impact humans have played on the environment. The film shows the evolution of not only nature, but the evolution of Homo sapiens; in which we’re the cause of nature’s decline and desecration. Although, it’s not necessarily a critique on humanity, the film certainly acts as a wake up call.

Film Synopsis:

After traveling the world alongside migrating birds (Winged Migration) and diving the oceans with whales and manta rays (Oceans), Jacques Perrin and Jacques Cluzaud return to more familiar ground: the lush green forests and megafauna that emerged across Europe following the last Ice Age.

Winter had gone on for 80,000 years when—in a relatively short period of time—the ice retreated, the landscape metamorphosed, the cycle of seasons was established, and the beasts occupied their new kingdom. It was only later that man arrived to share this habitat, first tentatively as migratory hunter/gatherers, then making inroads in the forest as settled agriculturalists, and later more dramatically via industry and warfare.

With its exceptional footage of animals in the wild, "Seasons" is the awe-inspiring and thought-provoking tale of the long and tumultuous shared history that inextricably binds humankind with the natural world.

The UICA Movie Theater shows independent, foreign, and documentary movies in downtown Grand Rapids Tuesday–Sunday year round. Audiences can see critical favorites, festival award winners, and special one-night screenings of classic films in UICA's 195-seat theater, with a state-of-the-art, Dolby© certified movie viewing experience. The Rapidian and UICA have teamed up to bring you film reviews about movies screening in the UICA Movie Theater by Nick Hartman, UICA Film Coordinator.