Video Review

Title: Anna, Emma, and the Condors

Producer/Director: Katja Torneman 

Year: 2012

Format: DVD; 20 minutes (Available through Passion River Films)

Summary: 
Anna, Emma, and the Condors follows the Parish family's efforts to save and sustain the struggling Condor population in the wilds of California. The video highlights the family's philosophy concerning environmental stewardship, and how they raise their daughters to be independent caretakers of the wild as well.

Audience:
This short film would be appropriate for students grades 3-7. It is short enough to work for the attention span of younger children ages 7 or 8, but offers enough deep thought for older ones ages 12-13. It would also be appropriate for families to watch together.

Strengths:
This documentary possesses the following successes:

• Quality footage; cinematography that captures the beauty of the land and the power of the condors themselves
• Intentional music that adds drama to the visuals.
• Meaningful voice overs and narration that speaks to children's interests and intelligence (while the narrative is straightforward, it also asks the audience to ponder Thoreau-esque ideas about nature, free thought, and humanity's role in the world).
• Haunting music that reflects a Native-American sensibility.
• Focus on activism and great shots of the young girls doing meaningful things to make a difference in the environment, which might inspire young children to do the same.
• Great tie in of themes about family, responsibility, and adventure. 

Weaknesses:
The film does contain the following weak areas:

•  More emphasis could be given to the audience about how they could get involved to help with condors, or some other endangered species in their own area.
• The film could be a bit longer. I was left wanting to know a bit more about what the young girls hope for the future, including their roles as guardian caretakers.

Programming Connections:
I think the topic of this documentary is perfect for current discussions about our planet. Sustainability, ecology, and environmental stewardship are important issues to address with our young people. This film would work well with studies about endangered species and what "normal" people (even kids) can do to help save them.
 

 Awards:

• The Dominican Republic Environmental Film Festival 2012 Audience Award Winner
• Official selection at International Wildlife Film Festival Missoula 2012
• Best Picture Zaki Gordon Film Institute Film Festival
• 2013 Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Children's Video 

Overall Rating:

I am not very familiar with films made intentionally for children, so I do not have much to compare with for this documentary. On the whole, I enjoyed the story line and felt as though it encouraged young children to pursue worthwhile activities that promote healthy communities and environments. I would encourage teachers to show this film in their classes and I would award it 4 out of 5 stars.