March of the Penguins

March of the Penguins, originally La Marche de l'empereur, is a documentary exploring the lives of Emperor Penguins in Antarctica. The film won the 2006 Academy Award for Best Documentary Film. The film follows the one year life-cycle of the penguins, from breeding in the autumn, to raising the penguin chick to adulthood months later. It took filmmakers one year, during which they were stationed at a French research base in Antarctica.

Some conservative politicians have claimed the movie supports traditional family values and the value of having two stable parents. This position has been criticized by researchers who point out that penguin monogamy does not last more than a single season. The interpretation of the movie as an argument for traditional family values has also been denied by the filmmaker, Luc Jacquet. Both the filmmaker and critics have warned against the dangers of comparing animal behavior to human behavior.