The Last Reef 3D: Cities Beneath The Sea at the Museum of Civilization’s IMAX® Theatre!

January 16, 2013, Gatineau, Quebec — The newest film making a splash at the Museum of Civilization’s IMAX^® Theatre is The Last Reef 3D: Cities Beneath The Sea, a thrilling underwater journey that uses unprecedented 3D cinematography to bring the teeming world of coral reefs to life.

Opening Saturday, January 19, the film explores our connection with the ocean’s complex world, revealing a habitat more diverse and more colourful than ever imagined. Stunning 3D imagery immerses viewers in communities beneath the sea and reveals the behaviour and relationships of countless ocean denizens—from well-loved species like spotted dolphins, to reef sharks and stingrays, to lesser-known but equally fascinating reef residents, such as crocodile fish, colourful nudibranchs, and delicate flatworms. The Last Reef 3D takes us from the heart of the city to the heart of the reef. As these ancient, exotic havens face the threat of extinction, this uplifting film inspires audiences with a vision of the reef’s incredible—yet fragile—power to rebuild.

The Last Reef 3D reveals coral worlds in incredible detail, captured by the world’s first underwater macro photography rig, created specifically for this shoot. Using this groundbreaking new technology, miniscule creatures appear massive on the giant screen while retaining brilliant clarity. Fly across iridescent tropical reefs, brush through a cloud of a million jellyfish and consider what it would mean if one of these wonderlands were to become the last reef, a very real danger being faced today.

The Last Reef 3D is the newest giant screen film from the makers of Wild Ocean.  Directors Luke Cresswell and Steve McNicholas have teamed up again on a global journey to explore the undeniable connection of our cities on land to the vibrant parallel world beneath the sea. “We’ve always been passionate about diving and exploring the hidden worlds underwater,” said Cresswell. “Shooting digitally for Wild Ocean, we were thrilled to be able to capture the incredible drama of the struggle for survival in the open sea. With The Last Reef 3D, we wanted to take a unique but very different approach that would allow audiences to experience the colour, diversity and interconnectedness of life in reef communities,” he explained. McNicholas said, “Underwater macro photography in 3D is something that’s never really been seen in any format, let alone on the giant screen. It’s the perfect tool to truly immerse viewers in these ‘alien’ worlds that are as vital to our existence as the rainforests—and are at risk of being the first ecosystem to be lost as a result of human activity.”

Reefs possess a dizzying bustle of sea creatures that rival humankind’s most populated regions. Illustrating how these seemingly distant undersea cities are surprisingly like our own communities, many unexpected urban locations appear in The Last Reef 3D.  New York became the city reference point in the movie, but other time-lapse sequences were shot in Los Angeles, San Diego, Miami, London, and Southampton (UK). To bring the story full circle, images of the work of Jason deCaires Taylor, a British sculptor based in Cancun, Mexico, appear as a coda. His life-size sculptures, casts of real objects and real people, form underwater sculpture parks in Mexico and Belize. They encourage new reef growth while drawing tourists away from protected areas, connecting humanity to the underwater world in a more positive way.

The Last Reef 3D: Cities Beneath The Sea (duration: 39 minutes) will be featured on the region’s largest screen at the Canadian Museum of Civilization starting January 19. 

For film schedules, please visit our website at www.historymuseum.ca/imax or call 819-776-7010.

Tickets are now on sale at the Museum Box Office. Individual prices: $11 adults; $9 seniors and students (with valid ID); $7 children 3 to 12; $35 families, plus applicable taxes. Members of the IMAX^® Club enjoy unlimited access for one year: $35 to $45

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Media Contacts

Stéphanie Verner
Media Relations Officer
Telephone: 819-776-7169 
Email: stephanie.verner@historymuseum.ca

Patricia Lynch 
Manager, Media Relations, Partnerships and Special Events
Telephone: 819-776-7167 
Email: patricia.lynch@historymuseum.ca