Coming out of the movie theater this week, my seven year-old daughter gravitated straight for the poster promoting Warner Independent Pictures' upcoming documentary about real-live penguins. Niki loves penguins! She has ever since we started taking her to the San Francisco Zoo when she was a baby. Another person crazy about penguins is Luc Jacquet. This French filmmaker, who is a biologist by training, is responsible for the creation of this most extreme "rugged elegant" story about the life of the emperor penguin and their mating habits.

On Tuesday, Warner Independent Pictures, released this photograph of baby penguins as they trek across the Antarctic on an annual life or death journey. Jacquet captured 120 hours of footage after surviving fourteen months in Antarctica. That footage was edited to ninety minutes.

The result?

'March of the Penguins' -- in theaters this Friday.

The film is narrated by Academy award-winning actor Morgan Freeman.

Warner Independent Pictures

Luc Jacquet documents penguins in an up close and personal way never captured before. His harrowing "love story" is rated G.

Jacquet said about his film:

The primary goal was to tell a story. To share my knowledge and emotion and to tell an amazing story.

When you go somewhere and become so overwhelmed, so impressed by it you want to explain to everyone why you feel that way -- try to share where your emotions are coming from.

About the penguins he encountered, he said:

I can't really pinpoint what it is about them that's so extraordinary.

You can see penguins everywhere, in advertisements, on calendars, on [the television cartoon] Pingu.

I think partly it's that some things about them are so human, sometimes their behavior has a correlation with ours.

And of course they're cute, but they are also a cursed species.

I think maybe there's just something special because their home is in Antarctica, which is so extreme.

So what inspired this man to spend fourteen months in the freezing cold, at the ends of the earth?

Jacquet said:

Everything you can do to involve people, to drive people to love the planet and love animals, I think that's good.

Although first and foremost I want to tell a story, if it makes a difference [in the ecosystem], we will be one step ahead.

You can guess where we will be taking Nicole Marie on Friday.

Inspire & Be Inspired.

Here's to healthy, adventuresome, soulful, "one step ahead" living!

~ Jennifer Carolyn King, Rugged Elegance, LLC

P.S. Another G-rated movie out this summer starring penguins is Madagascar. These little animated fellas steal the show.

Penguin Antics - Two Natural Comedians