“Hurricane 3D,” which gives audiences an up-close look at the strength of an Atlantic hurricane like the ones that have wrought havoc in Texas, Florida and Puerto Rico this year, will open Wednesday at the California Science Center’s IMAX theater in Exposition Park.
In this season of devastating hurricanes, including Harvey, Irma and Maria, the film “gives insight into the science behind this phenomena, as well as a sense of the visceral impact experienced by those affected,” according to the California Science Center.
Viewers will learn how hurricanes are monitored to keep people safe and the ways rescue teams mobilize to help. They will also hear how hurricanes play a surprisingly beneficial role in revitalizing Earth’s ecosystems.
The filmmakers teamed with NASA to follow the footsteps of a hurricane, which begins its journey as a sandstorm in Senegal, heads west across the Atlantic, building momentum, then blows into the jungles of the Caribbean with winds of up to 124 miles per hour, impacting a dozen countries in its path.
“Hurricane 3D offers the closest approximation to experiencing a hurricane, while remaining safe,” said California Science Center President Jeff Rudolph. “We hope that audiences in California can gain insight from this, and empathize with the victims of hurricanes across the world.”
From opening day until Oct. 31, the California Science Center and nWave Pictures Distribution will donate a dollar from each ticket sale to the “One America Appeal” to help hurricane victims, according to Rudolph.
The film was shot in 12 countriesover 280 days and took five years to produce.
“We are delighted to bring `Hurricane 3D’ to the newly upgraded IMAX Laser Theater at the California Science Center,” said Janine Baker, senior vice president of nWave Pictures Distribution. “This giant-screen film perfectly captures the sound and fury of nature, as we fly through the eye of the storm on board one of NOAA’s hurricane-hunter planes; watch the growing threat as seen from the International Space Station high above earth; and dive below the surface of the ocean to witness the impact of the storm surge on coral reefs and surrounding coastal areas.”
—City News Service