India - Kingdom of the Tiger
14th Sept 2002 - Feb 2003
IMAX Cinemas

Ever wanted to see a Bengal Tiger? For the first time IMAX® audiences will have a unique opportunity to view the mighty Bengal tiger in a true-life adventure documentary set in India. Based on the life of Edward (Jim) James Corbett and the story of 'The Man-Eater of Mukteshwar'. The film will be showing for 6 months from 14th September 2002.

India - Kingdom of the Tiger

Revealing rare glimpses of this elusive endangered predator and the land it once reigned over, India - Kingdom of the Tiger brings to an international audience the plight of the Bengal tiger, its struggle for survival, and the challenge to save the land it calls home. A star with stripes!

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The Bengal tiger, India's national animal, is a majestic creature with an intricate connection to the Indian people. In the mid-19th century, before hunters decimated tiger populations, almost 100,000 tigers roamed the land from Eastern Europe to Indonesia. Of the eight tiger species originally in existence, only five remain today and there are estimated to be fewer than 4,000 Bengal tigers left on the Indian subcontinent.

Research by conservationists and historians show several causes for the dramatic decline of the Bengal tiger population. For the last three hundred years, the "bagging" of tigers was considered a rite of passage for Indian royalty, and later, a sport for British officers. Tigers were chased by hunting parties with hundreds of 'beaters' - men who went into forests with drums and torches, scaring tigers into the open where they could be shot.

Chris Palmer, executive producer and National Wildlife Productions President adds: "Even as game hunting became illegal in the 20th century, the prestige of owning tiger skins, teeth, or gaining spurious benefits from its organs in encouraging illegal poaching. This isn't just a problem for India to deal with, because the demand comes from an international market."

The Tiger Champion

Director Bruce Neibaur, who also directed the acclaimed large format film Mysteries of Egypt, and Writer/Line Producer Keero Singh Birla bring the story of India and tigers to the giant screen through the compelling tale of Edward James (Jim) Corbett, an Englishman born in 1875 in India during British rule. Corbett, once considered to be the most accomplished hunter of his time, had a profound attachment to the country of his birth and its people. Elderly townspeople in the Himalayan region of Kumaon describe how Corbett was respected by their own parents and elders, not only for his hunting prowess, but also for his empathy and concern for their general well being.

As an ever-expanding population encroached upon the tigers' natural habitat, Corbett was summoned to help track and shoot several infamous man-eating tigers and leopards. It is estimated that these rogue cats were responsible for killing more than 1500 people. Due to his reticence to kill, Corbett set strict guidelines before he would agree to hunt a tiger. He differentiated between deaths that occurred when humans and tigers accidentally crossed paths, and intentional predatory man-eater attacks, where entire villages locked themselves indoors for days on end. Corbett added a camera to his arsenal, and soon became renowned as a prominent protector of the Bengal tiger. He recorded his adventures in thrilling, poignant stories set in the mountains of northern India, winning international acclaim. Following his death, India re-named its first wildlife sanctuary, Corbett National Park, in his honor.

"We wanted to tell an engaging true-life story that would present the majestic Bengal tiger and its connection to India compellingly," says Neibaur. "Corbett's story of transformation to conservationist and protector provided us with that opportunity. In his character you have a wise, adventurous spirit who saw life in an interconnected, interdependent web of biological relationships. It is my hope that through this film, the legacy of Corbett, the famous tiger-wallah (tiger-man) who worked to save the greatest of the great cats, will continue to bear fruit."

Tracking Tigers

The crew spent a month filming tigers in the steaming Bandhavgarh Park in central India. Veteran large format cinematographer James Neihouse sat atop an elephant, alongside an erected twelve-foot tripod to film Bacchi the tigress with her cubs. They even strapped the 90 lb IMAX® camera on the steadicam operator as he ran through the grass following the tiger. Says Birla, "We spent almost a month in the company of this tigress, and despite the hardships of working in the jungle, every moment was worth it when we captured intimate footage of Bacchi's cubs."

Through the story of Jim Corbett, and the stunning images of natural tiger behavior, the makers of this film aim to educate viewers about the significance of the Bengal tiger and the land it once claimed as its kingdom. The film pinpoints the encroachment of burgeoning human populations on the tiger's natural habitat as a key factor that has led to a crisis between man and animal.

According to Palmer, "Despite Indian government efforts like 'Project Tiger' to conserve tiger populations, the numbers continue to decline, and this indicates a need for us all to be concerned. With 16 percent of the world's people making their home on two percent of the world's land, India is fast losing its wildlife habitat. At the turn of the twentieth century, 40 percent of India was covered in forest. Today, the figure is 15 percent. And only three percent has been specifically set aside for wildlife."

Yet, as Gandhi said, "a society can be judged by the way it treats its animals." Conservationists in India are implementing efforts to preserve tiger habitat and reduce poaching. Stalwarts of Indian wildlife conservation have launched a massive nationwide awareness and education campaign, Kids for Tigers, in over 700 schools across India. In addition, the Corbett Foundation, established in 1994, also organizes groups for conducted day visits to Corbett National Park. Recently, 500 villagers and approximately 100 teachers and 600 school children learned about biodiversity in the tiger reserve and possible ways that it can be managed to benefit local communities.

National Wildlife Federation

India - Kingdom of the Tiger is a National Wildlife Federation presentation of a Primesco production. National Wildlife Federation is the largest member supported conservation group in the United States, and Primesco is an established Canadian producer of large format films. Click here to visit their website.

Want to see the film?

For show times and to book tickets call 020 7902 1234 or visit
www.bfi.org.uk/imax

Do you want to help save the Bengal Tiger?

Click here to Join the WWF (World Wildlife Fund)
Click here to subscribe & donate online to the WWF India.
Click here to visit the Corbett Foundation.

For further Information on How to Save the Tiger

Click here to visit Indian Jungles that is dedicated to the preservation of Indian wildlife and wilderness.
Click here to read about WWF's Tiger Programme
Click here for specifics on 'Learning How to Save The Tiger' - brought to you by Forever Tigers.
Kids - click here for a fun site to learn about Tigers.

Other Links

Click here to view a profile on India
Click here to view a profile on Bangladesh.