Frans Lanting: The Evolution of Life

This original documentary brings National Geographic photographer Frans Lanting's epic LIFE project to the big screen, taking viewers on a fascinating journey through time via dazzling images depicting life on Earth from the Big Bang to the present. The film also recounts Lanting's own evolution from natural history photographer to visual chronicler of life on the planet. The film features stunning images from Lanting's vast photographic archive as well as new images shot specifically for the film. Supported by interviews with Lanting and long-time collaborator Christine Eckstrom, the film promotes an understanding of Earth's natural history while instilling a sense of wonder about our living world. Also appearing in the film are experts in the fields of biology, geology, planetary science and photography, including pioneering sociobiologist E.O. Wilson, Harvard University evolutionary biologist Andrew Knoll, NASA/JPL astrobiologist Abigail Allwood, primatologist Russell Mittermeier and National Geographic photo editor Elizabeth Krist, among others. Earth's most compelling locations serve as the backdrop, including the shores of Delaware Bay where Lanting's inspiration for LIFE began. The film also takes viewers to subantarctic Campbell Island, Hawaii's volcanic Mount Kilauea, New Zealand, the coastal dunes of Namibia, and Santa Cruz, California, allowing viewers to experience Lanting and Eckstrom's approach to working in diverse natural environments. (Nashville Film Festival)