Renowned wildlife filmaker Bertie Gregory took the stage Wednesday evening as twilight fell over the historic Greek Theater in Los Angeles. We were gathered for an under the stars screening of the remarkable documentary Jane that captured her efforts to study the behaviors of chimpanzees to honor conservationist Jane Goodall’s 90th birthday. The event would also mark the beginning of ourHOME, a National Geographic and Disney celebration of the planet with a series of special Disney+ programming, events in the Disney Parks, online activities to educate the family about the planet, and a sweepstakes for an incredible trip to the Galapagos Islands.
Among the highlights of the upcoming Earth month programming is the April 22nd debut of Secrets of the Octopus, a highly anticipated documentary narrated by Paul Rudd. It is joining a continuing series that has offered a deeper look at the lives of bees and elephants.
And our event host Gregory declared “get out your tuxedos, people” as he announced the series will not only take on the delightful penguins next but also revealed he will be its host. We were then treated to an edge of your seat clip. However, he swore all of us to secrecy, so you’ll just have to wait for its official release. But it was unforgettable, jaw-dropping footage.
We also got a sneak peek at a new online series where National Geographic stars explore various Disney Conservation efforts. It was a first look at Critter Fixers visit to Disney’s Animal Kingdom which had adorable footage of baby Corra. That was followed by clips from the documentary Tiger and Secrets of the Octopus.
Building on the excitement and awe of the footage we’d been experiencing, Gregory took the stage again and asked the audience to get on their feet for the debut of “Jump” a new song composed by the multi-platinum singer-songwriter Andy Grammer for National Geographic.
Following the performance, Bertie joined Andy on stage where with cell phone in hand they led the audience in a “Happy Birthday” sing along to pass along to the event’s honoree, Jane Goodall. And with the festivities complete, the stage lights dimmed and Jane, the remarkable journey of a woman whose commitment to observing the behaviors of chimpanzees changed how the world understood these beings, began.
