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praised the film for its cinematography and the depth and quality of coverage of the meerkats, and said their activities "constantly amaze", while noting that the film was a condensed and embellished version of actual events that did not distort the meerkats' story. The
Friends of the Kalahari Meerkat Project, a sponsorship for the research group studying the meerkats, thought the film was a "heart-touching tribute to Flower, with amazing meerkat, landscape and wildlife footage". Though the group noted that the film changes some details from the life history reports it was based on, they felt the film should be enjoyed rather than analyzed. Common Sense Media reviewer Emily Ashby felt the film was accessible to fans and newcomers to the series; she praised the story's scope and emotional impact, calling it a "captivating journey" that did not avoid depicting the "harsh facts of life in the wild".
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avoid disrupting the research, crews are only allowed to film within the research area under a strictly enforced agreement not to interfere with the meerkats' lives. The producers ultimately included the scene, but the meerkat's cries for help as it lay dying were edited out. Other meerkat deaths depicted were reenactments. For Viale's death scene, the crew rigged a camera mounted on a platform on the side of a truck. Robin Smith, the film and series main cinematographer, hung partially out of the truck to hold the camera steady, giving the visual impression of a truck bearing down on a meerkat. To provide bird and snake footage, professional
391:, the cinematographers had to move carefully to avoid scaring the animals. The crew used radios to keep in contact with one another as they followed the meerkat groups around. Although the park normally prohibits low-flying aircraft, the production crew was given permission to film for three days using a low-flying helicopter. Mounted to its front underside was a new type of camera that was not affected by the shaking of the helicopter. Colour scenes depicting the birth of meerkat pups were obtained by filming captive meerkats at the
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366:"The television series was specifically shot very low and intimate so you have a one-on-one relationship with the meerkats. We put you in their world immediately and you spend almost all your time at their eye level. But we knew to make a feature film we needed something bigger. We had to bring in bigger toys to expand it. We wanted to give everybody a sense of how big the Kalahari is."
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off. In doing so, she becomes the new leader of the group. Zaphod returns to the group to be her mate, while
Yossarian steps aside and leaves the group. Flower leads the Whiskers back to their original home, and after a brief battle, the Whiskers reclaim it from the Lazuli. At end of the film, an on-screen note describes Flower's death during the third season of
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series to die, the producers of the film debated including the filmed death of a young meerkat who was bitten by a snake. They questioned whether viewers would understand that the meerkats were wild animals and that human interference would disrupt the animals' natural life cycles. In addition, to
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During a time of starvation and drought, Viale attempts to lead the group across a road to forage. As she crosses, she is struck and killed by a passing truck. As the
Whiskers attempt to adjust to the loss of their leader, a snake approaches the group. Flower steps in to lead an attack to drive it
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offered anything new for viewers of the television series, feeling that it was a "re-edited, re-scored, re-narrated" version of the existing series. While he found
Goldberg's narration to be higher quality than in most documentaries of this type, he also felt that it "pales after a while." Scheib
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before its television premiere on Animal Planet on 25 May 2008. While it was praised for its cinematography, for maintaining the depth of coverage of the television series, and for its accessibility to newcomers to the series, it was criticized for not offering anything new to fans. The
Kalahari
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that the meerkats are a part of is based, and employed a much larger crew. Breaking from the series' pure documentary format, the film does not include footage of the project meerkats depicted in the story. Instead, wild meerkat "actors" represented Flower and her family; Flower was depicted by
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Meerkat
Project noted that the film was not completely accurate but praised it overall and recommended against analyzing it. Several reviewers praised Goldberg's narration, but the script was criticized as being too simplistic for adult viewers.
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had finished shooting. According to
Executive producer Mick Kaczorowski, Flower's death imposed the need for a "bigger" ending to the film than the producers originally planned; Flower's death was addressed and the coda added.
248:, the film employed a much larger crew than the series. Some scenes were shot at a wildlife park in the United Kingdom, while others were created using camera tricks and trained film animals.
469:, giving viewers a look at how the Kalahari Meerkat Project researchers work with the meerkats. It is scheduled for Region 2 DVD release in the United Kingdom on 2 November 2009.
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approximately eight female meerkats. The camera crew sought out appropriately aged meerkats for each scene, then filmed them until they behaved in ways the script required.
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normally films episodes using a crew of only two or three people to avoid disturbing the meerkats; the film was shot over two years at the
Kuruman River Reserve, where the
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A hawk kills Holly when Flower is a year old, and her father abandons the group to find a new mate. Flower's sister Viale becomes the group's
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named Flower from birth to her becoming the leader of a meerkat group called the
Whiskers. The film is based on the research notes of the
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for an award in the "Outstanding
Achievement in Sound Mixing for DVD Original Programming" category, losing out to the music documentary
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and primarily uses wild meerkat "actors" to represent those in the story. Shot over two years at the Kuruman River Reserve in
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1091:"The Nominees for the Cinema Audio Society Awards for Outstanding Achievement in Sound Mixing for 2008"
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963:[Festival of British Film of Dinard 2008 – Before-Premieres] (in French). Ecranlarge.com
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Owen, Rob (May 23, 2008). "Life on 'Meerkat Manor' goes on after Flower with film, new season".
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820:"The Meerkats, a transcript of the online October 17, 2007 chat session with Mick Kaczorowski"
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930:"Meerkat Manor: The Next Generation Claws Back to Animal Planet Friday, June 6, at 9 PM"
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In 2007, the real Flower was killed by a snake bite—before the film and the third series of
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Because of the viewer backlash Animal Planet received for allowing meerkats from the
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341:. Caroline Hawkins, creator of the series, wrote the script using notes taken by
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on 30 April in the Spotlight section, before airing in the United States on
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were employed, ensuring the meerkats were not deliberately put in danger.
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737:"Get Ready for More Desert Drama (Official Discovery Blogs interview)"
657:"Spotlight, Showcase, Restored/Redisccovered, and Five Special Events"
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special included as an extra. The DVD also includes another special,
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on May 25. Its television premiere was followed by the 30-minute
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961:"Festival du Film Britannique de Dinard 2008 – Avant-Premières"
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634:(Narrator), Hawkins, Caroline (Producer) (May 25, 2008).
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While the majority of the meerkats filmed were partially
716:. The International Association of Wildlife Film-Makers
591:"TV Week: A tribute to Flower Back to 'Meerkat Manor'"
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371: —Mick Kaczorowski, Senior Executive Producer
983:"Wildscreenings: Meerkat Manor: The Story Begins"
630:Barker, Chris (Director), Slee, Mike (Director),
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272:on 15 March 2000, to Holly, the leader of a
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519:"March of the Cuddly-Wuddly Documentaries"
461:in North America on 3 June 2008, with the
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16:2008 television film directed by Mike Slee
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649:
636:Making of Meerkat Manor: The Story Begins
433:Making of Meerkat Manor: The Story Begins
251:The 75-minute film premiered at the 2008
1013:"Meerkat Manor: The Story Begins (2008)"
735:McCandless, Sarah Grace (May 22, 2008).
280:. After an attack by a rival group, the
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477:In 2009, the film was nominated by the
345:researchers, including head researcher
335:of the highly rated documentary series
1093:. Cinema Audio Society. Archived from
437:Festival du film britannique de Dinard
1355:American films based on actual events
1345:American documentary television films
818:Kaczorowski, Mick (17 October 2007).
228:. A scripted documentary narrated by
7:
496:s Ronnie Scheib did not think that
451:on 18 October and 24 October 2008.
1400:English-language documentary films
307:and the children she left behind.
14:
1118:"Meerkat Manor: The Story Begins"
1062:Kilday, Gregg (January 7, 2009).
959:Julé, Vincent (October 7, 2008).
903:"Meerkat Manor: The Story Begins"
865:"Meerkat Manor: The Story Begins"
557:"Meerkat Manor: The Story begins"
517:Thomson, Desson (July 29, 2007).
331:biography of Flower, the central
232:, the film details the life of a
1395:Films set in the Kalahari Desert
1360:Films based on television series
936:. April 21, 2008. Archived from
1222:Meerkat Manor: The Story Begins
1159:Meerkat Manor: The Story Begins
1148:Meerkat Manor: The Story Begins
901:Scheib, Ronnie (May 19, 2009).
498:Meerkat Manor: The Story Begins
423:The film premiered at the 2008
325:Meerkat Manor: The Story Begins
199:Meerkat Manor: The Story Begins
22:Meerkat Manor: The Story Begins
1:
1116:Ashby, Emily (July 4, 2008).
1064:"'Knight' scores in CAS noms"
683:"Mega Meerkat Fan Collection"
361:fan, provided the narration.
1375:2000s English-language films
712:Brown, John (June 3, 2006).
467:The Science of Meerkat Manor
1416:
589:Owen, Rob (May 25, 2008).
26:
1370:Television prequel films
1287:Kalahari Meerkat Project
852:. Series 3. Episode 3.8.
797:Kalahari Meerkat Project
561:Kalahari Meerkat Project
381:Kalahari Meerkat Project
343:Kalahari Meerkat Project
238:Kalahari Meerkat Project
1297:Oxford Scientific Films
714:"Filming Meerkat Manor"
596:Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
395:in the United Kingdom.
317:Oxford Scientific Films
212:Oxford Scientific Films
126:Oxford Scientific Films
1390:American prequel films
1335:2008 documentary films
1069:The Hollywood Reporter
638:(Television special).
393:Cotswold Wildlife Park
368:
1330:2008 television films
1325:Discovery Films films
940:on September 15, 2012
869:Tribeca Film Festival
741:Kalahari Confidential
661:Tribeca Film Festival
425:Tribeca Film Festival
253:Tribeca Film Festival
155:25 May 2008
141:The Weinstein Company
1380:2000s American films
1350:Films about meerkats
1120:. Common Sense Media
479:Cinema Audio Society
1385:2000s British films
524:The Washington Post
454:It was released to
445:Wildscreen Festival
863:Terranova, Genna.
793:"KMP Meerkats FAQ"
33:Region 1 DVD cover
1340:Films set in 2000
1305:
1304:
1292:Tim Clutton-Brock
932:(Press release).
778:Chicago Sun-Times
745:Discovery Channel
687:Discovery Channel
659:(Press release).
559:. Friends of the
484:If All Goes Wrong
347:Tim Clutton-Brock
276:group called the
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799:. August 7, 2008
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663:. March 17, 2008
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441:The Meerkats
440:
432:
422:
419:Distribution
411:
409:
399:
397:
386:
376:
375:
369:
365:
358:
336:
324:
314:
304:
301:
291:and chooses
286:
264:The meerkat
263:
250:
246:South Africa
223:
198:
197:
196:
171:Running time
148:Release date
90:John Walters
66:Carole Tomko
42:Chris Barker
1075:February 3,
1047:October 15,
997:October 13,
944:February 3,
879:February 3,
829:20 December
667:February 3,
315:Created by
206:created by
88:Robin Smith
75:Narrated by
64:Clare Birks
59:Produced by
39:Directed by
1320:2008 films
1314:Categories
1251:Commandoes
697:August 13,
505:References
389:habituated
357:, a known
311:Production
293:Youssarian
202:is a 2008
175:75 minutes
159:2008-05-25
114:Production
51:Written by
1101:August 5,
1042:Amazon UK
987:Watershed
473:Reception
351:Mike Slee
289:matriarch
116:companies
95:Edited by
70:Mark Wild
45:Mike Slee
1241:Whiskers
1233:Meerkats
1216:Episodes
1124:June 27,
967:July 31,
803:July 31,
602:July 31,
567:June 27,
530:July 29,
456:Region 1
405:handlers
353:, while
278:Whiskers
260:Synopsis
188:Language
103:Music by
1280:Related
1261:Starsky
1022:May 25,
914:May 20,
908:Variety
755:May 25,
490:Variety
449:Bristol
333:meerkat
329:prequel
274:meerkat
234:meerkat
222:series
218:to the
216:prequel
191:English
180:Country
157: (
1266:Aztecs
1246:Lazuli
1017:Amazon
327:is a
297:Zaphod
282:Lazuli
266:Flower
1256:Zappa
1209:Media
494:'
214:as a
1153:IMDb
1126:2009
1103:2009
1077:2009
1049:2009
1024:2008
999:2008
969:2009
946:2009
916:2008
881:2009
831:2007
805:2009
757:2008
722:2007
699:2009
669:2009
604:2009
569:2008
532:2007
319:for
210:and
1162:at
1151:at
848:".
459:DVD
447:in
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