Disney+ Hotstar announces three new movies and specials launching this Earth Day to celebrate the power within each of us to create change for the better and inspire connections with the wonders of the world we all share. “Polar Bear,” the next wildlife movie from Disneynature; “Explorer: The Last Tepui” the newest installment of National Geographic’s long-running “Explorer” series; and “The Biggest Little Farm: The Return,” a special update based on the 2018 critically-acclaimed documentary on the making of Apricot Lane Farms, will premiere exclusively on Disney+ Hotstar on 22nd April 2022.
This Earth Day, Disney+ Hotstar will take viewers on a journey around the world – from the rain forests of Guyana to the farms of California to the icy tundras of the Arctic – to witness and celebrate the diversity and resilience of our planet and the species that inhabit it. Filmed in some of the world’s most fascinating, biodiverse, and mysterious environments, all of these dynamic movies and specials give viewers a revealing look at Earth’s splendours, its ecosystems, and inhabitants that face insurmountable environmental changes and threats.
Disneynature’s “Polar Bear”
Disney+ Hotstar and Disneynature revealed today that two-time Academy Award® nominee Catherine Keeneer (“Capote,” “Being John Malkovich”) is narrating “Polar Bear.” The film tells the story of a new mother whose memories of her own youth prepare her to navigate motherhood in the increasingly challenging world that polar bears face today. Helmed by Alastair Fothergill and Jeff Wilson, the directing team behind Disneynature’s “Penguins,” and produced by Fothergill, Wilson, Jason Roberts, Keith Scholey and Roy Conli, “Polar Bear” launches exclusively on Disney+ Hotstar on 22nd April.
“Explorer: The Last Tepui”
The Disney+ Hotstar Earth Day special “Explorer: The Last Tepui,” from National Geographic, follows elite climber Alex Honnold (“Free Solo”) and a world-class climbing team led by National Geographic Explorer and climber Mark Synnott on a grueling mission deep in the Amazon jungle as they attempt a first-ascent climb up a 1000 foot sheer cliff. Their goal is to deliver legendary biologist and National Geographic Explorer Bruce Means to the top of a massive “island in the sky” known as a tepui. The team must first trek miles of treacherous jungle terrain to help Dr. Means complete his life’s work, searching the cliff wall for undiscovered animal species. The one-hour special is the newest installment of National Geographic’s long-running “Explorer” series. This Earth Day, learn why the tepuis – much like the Galapagos – are a treasure trove of biodiversity worth protecting.
“The Biggest Little Farm: The Return”
The Disney+ Hotstar Earth Day special “The Biggest Little Farm: The Return,” from National Geographic, is based on the 2018 award-winning feature documentary film that tells the story of John and Molly Chester, who abandon their urban life in Los Angeles to live on a barren farm to grow delicious food in harmony with nature in Ventura County. The new special follows the farmers’ 10-year tireless journey as they transform the land into a magical working farm and document the whole process in this heartwarming special that is akin to a real-life “Charlotte’s Web.” Apricot Lane Farms is a beautiful, complex world that reflects our planet’s biodiversity, and this special introduces audiences to animals that will quickly burrow into their hearts, like Emma the pig who welcomes her newest litter and an adorable lamb named Moe who befriends the family. This Earth Day, see how the farmers utilise the interconnectedness of nature to help build soil health, maximise biodiversity, and regeneratively grow the most nutrient-dense food possible.
Bonus:
Beloved broadcaster and naturalist Sir David Attenborough once said: “No one will protect what they don’t care about; and no one will care about what they have never experienced.” Immerse yourself and get a whole new perspective of our natural world with BBC Earth’s Earth Day Special on 22 April. Kicking off our virtual travels is Eden: Untamed Planet where award-winning actress Helena Bonham Carter takes us on a journey to the last remaining untouched lands where life exists as nature intended.
The Green Planet series will also be making a special come-back with a marathon of all 5 episodes looking at the secret, unseen lives of plants with new stories, never-seen-before animal behaviours, surprising heroes. A bonus new 1-hour special, The Green Planet: The Making Of, will also premiere for the very first time! We take you behind the scenes with experts to learn what goes into making a documentary of this scale with the latest technology. From capturing images of ants in over 7,000 different camera positions over 2 weeks, to filming in the middle of raging wild fire and filming an aerial battle with invasive plants on helicopters, this is your chance to relive the team’s triumphs and challenges.
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BBC Earth invites you to experience, understand and protect our natural world this Earth Day with our special programme on Friday, 22nd April from 9.25am onwards, available on Unifi TV channel 501 and BBC Player | Astro channel 554.
4. “Eden: Untamed Planet”, Episode 1-6
Travel to the far corners of the planet and discover the secrets of Earth’s few remaining untouched lands, all brimming with life. From the Namib Desert to Patagonia, only a handful of places on Earth can claim to be largely unchanged. Isolated from the rest of the world, these places have been protected from the most damaging effects of human interference. Delicately balanced, species-rich, unique ecosystems. In these lands, life exists as nature intended. This series embarks on a breath-taking journey to Earth’s last Eden. It visits incredible landscapes and reveals thrilling new behaviour from the world’s most iconic animals. As the heavy tread of humans falls ever closer to these beautiful and fragile lands, now is the time to reveal their captivating stories. This six-part series is narrated by the talented, award-winning actress Helena Bonham Carter.
5. “The Green Planet”, Episode 1-5
Step into a magical hidden world full of remarkable new behaviour, emotional stories and surprising heroes. Presented by Sir David Attenborough.
Plants live secret, unseen lives. Using specialist cameras, this spectacular series allows us to travel beyond the power of the human eye, to look closer at their interconnected world, showcasing over two decades of new discoveries. From deserts, tropical jungles and underwater worlds to seasonal lands and our own urban environment, each episode introduces a set of plants, reveals the battles they face, and the ingenious ways they’ve found to survive. New stories, never-seen-before animal behaviours, surprising heroes. This is Planet Earth from the perspective of plants.
6. “The Green Planet: The Making Of”
The making of Sir David Attenborough’s series on the magical hidden world of plants. Using specialist cameras, this spectacular series allows us to look closer at their interconnected world, showcasing over two decades of new discoveries.
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