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Great North team to film mass caribou births
Montreal, June 1, 1999

From June 6 until June 12, the creative team of Motion International's large-format film Great North, will shoot one of the highlights of a landmark caribou research project, at the «Wild» Zoo of St-Feliciens.

Over a two week period, twenty female caribou captured in February and kept under optimum conditions at the Zoo, will give birth! The birth of the fawns will enable the province's top biologists to study the genetic growth potential of Quebec’s northern caribou: the largest migratory herd on the planet. Fawns are delivered once a year, over a two-week period. After only 48 hours, these animals can run at amazing speeds. The birthing of the fawns is one of the most dramatic scenes in Great North.

Great North is Motion International's first large-format film. Executive Producer André Picard established the unit upon his arrival at Motion International, after his enormous success as executive producer of titles such as Rolling Stones at the Max, Mountain Gorilla and Fires of Kuwait (which received an Academy Award nomination). Martin J. Dignard is the producer.

Great North is a tribute to the spirit of the High Arctic, the genius of the Inuit or Northern Canada and of Northern Sweden's Saami: ancient peoples who adjusted to and survived the harsh climate. It is also a celebration of the flora and the fauna of this rugged and virtually uncharted area. The film is slated for a joint Montreal, Quebec City and Stockholm premiere in June 2000, before being distributed worldwide. It is produced with the support of the Swedish Museum of Natural History and Japan's Imagica Corporation.

1991: The Société de la Faune et des Parcs (Wildlife and Parks Department) of the Quebec Government, in conjunction with Hydro-Quebec begin a research project tracking caribou migration and feeding habits in Quebec’s Great North.

1998: Motion International, Large Format Films begins filming Great North.

1999: The Great North team, in conjunction with Société de la Faune et des Parcs' biologist Serge Couturier and Laval University safely capture 20 pregnant caribou near James Bay. These caribou are to be kept under optimum conditions and observation at the «Wild» Zoo of St-Felicien for a period of two years.

June 1999: Over a two-week period, these majestic animals give birth. The event is closely monitored by biologists and captured by Imax cameras for the first time.

June 11, 1999: A select group of journalists is invited to join the Large Format Films unit at the «Wild» Zoo of St-Felicien to record and be a part of this extraordinary event.

Motion International, Large Format Films principal’s partner is Capital Communications CDPQ Inc., a subsidiary of the Caisse de dépôt du Québec.