Deschutes Public Library

On assignment, memoir of a national geographic filmmaker, James R. Larison

eng

Includes filmography

illustrations

no index present

non fiction

On assignment

1240210640

James R. Larison

memoir of a national geographic filmmaker

Jim and Elaine Larison spent years studying, exploring, and living in wild places, making more than thirty environmental films, most for the National Geographic Society. These films won more than forty international awards from leading environmental and broadcast organizations. This memoir tells the story behind the adventure and describes the rather substantial personal costs of this career. While shooting film in Alaska, Jim Larison narrowly survived a devastating airplane crash in the Bering Sea. Later, while filming on the Great Barrier Reef, the Larisons fought off an aggressive twelve-foot tiger shark. Midway through their careers, the Larisons were nearly swept to their deaths by an icefall while filming on Mount Robson. A thrilling adventure story, full of risk and personal conflict, On Assignment, is also a touching look at the tender bonds that held the married couple together while they struggled to complete their many film assignments.

Part I: Coming into the wild. Lake Timagami -- Breaking trail -- Egegik, Alaska -- The flying coffin -- Rescue and recovery -- The conversation -- Part II: On assignment. The big break -- Our first assignment -- The Cayman Trench -- Hart Mountain -- A living ocean -- Tiger shark! -- Part III. The unforgiving world of ice -- Robson Glacier -- Part IV: Advocacy. The living Earth -- Old growth -- Ancient forests -- Diversity of life -- Palau -- Egegik revisited -- Part V: Wounds that will not heal. A world of wounds -- Epilogue: how films were mad.e

adult