One of the Last Great Adventures on Earth
Mystery of the Nile Opens at the Denver Museum of Nature & Science Friday, February 25
Note to Reporters and Editors: Join us on Monday, February 21, at 7:00 p.m. for a special media screening of Mystery of the Nile, and a talk by Pasquale Scaturro, the Coloradoan who led the expedition. RSVP required. Please call 303.370.6393 by Monday, February 14. Limit: 4 guests per party.
DENVER—January 14, 2005—It was one of the last daring feats yet to be completed on Earth—the successful navigation of the Nile River from beginning to end. In April 2004, a team of intrepid explorers, led by Colorado-based adventurer Pasquale Scaturro and his partner Gordon Brown, become the first in history to conquer all 3,260 miles of the Nile, from the Blue Nile source in the Ethiopian highlands to the Mediterranean Sea. The story of this historic accomplishment is told in the new IMAX film, Mystery of the Nile, opening Friday, February 25, at Phipps IMAX Theater at the Denver Museum of Nature & Science.
Traveling by raft and kayak, the expedition team spent 114 days navigating the Blue Nile’s treacherous gorges in Ethiopia, the flat, desert plains of war-torn Sudan, and the bustling port cities of Egypt, before reaching their final destination. Along the way, they faced nearly insurmountable challenges: the world’s most dangerous rapids, deadly crocodiles and hippos, gunfire from armed bandits, arrests by local militia, blinding sandstorms, exposure to malaria, and the relentless heat of the fierce desert sun—all while documenting their journey with an IMAX camera and two video cameras.
“For me, this was not only the longest river I’ve ever run, but by far the most operationally difficult,” said Scaturro. “With the exception of three supply drops in Ethiopia, we did it without any outside support whatsoever. So we handled our own border crossings, food buys, fuel buys, everything. In addition to croc and bandit attacks, we also faced arrests, raft flips, malaria-carrying mosquitoes, sand and dust storms, as well as extreme wind, heat and cold.”
But more than just a chronicle of a groundbreaking expedition, Mystery of the Nile also reveals a wondrous region that is host to abundant historical, cultural and natural treasures, where a connection to the ancient past informs our understanding of the rapidly changing future. Today, most Westerners associate the Nile with pyramids, pharaohs and ancient Egyptians—with good reason. It was the Egyptians who first dubbed the Nile “The River of Life” and revered it as a god due to its seemingly mystical powers of providing everything they needed.
But the Egyptians were just one of many kingdoms in the region that would come to rely on the Nile for sustenance and power. Mystery of the Nile also explores the equally mystifying relics of the lesser-known Nubian kingdoms, who created their own spectacular black pyramids at Meroe in Sudan, and the early Christian churches carved out of sheer rock by 12th-century Coptics in the sacred Ethiopian city of Lalibela.
“As we journeyed we began to see that one of the most beautiful mysteries of the Nile is how it brings together people of all faiths and cultures,” said Brown. “We met the most incredible people along our journey, and I hope that more people come together across borders to talk about the future of the Nile.”
Mystery of the Nile is a coproduction of Orbita Max (www.orbitamax.com) and MacGillivray Freeman Films (www.macfreefilms.com).
Museum Information
Background: The Denver Museum of Nature & Science is the Rocky Mountain region’s leading resource for informal science education. A variety of engaging exhibits, discussions and activities help Museum visitors celebrate and understand the natural wonders of Colorado, Earth and the universe.
Standard Hours of Operation, Ticket Pricing and Discounts: The Museum is open seven days a week, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. (closed December 25). Mystery of the Nile show times: Monday–Thursday: 1:00, 2:00, 3:00 and 5:00 p.m.; Friday: 1:00, 2:00, 3:00, 5:00, 6:00 and 7:00 p.m.; Saturday: noon, 1:00, 2:00, 3:00, 5:00, 6:00, and 7:00 p.m.; Sunday: noon, 1:00, 2:00, 3:00 and 5:00 p.m. IMAX tickets are $8 each for adults and $5.50 each for juniors (ages 3–18) and seniors (65+). Combination Museum/IMAX tickets are $13 for adults and $9 for juniors and seniors. General Museum admission tickets are $9 each for adults and $6 each for juniors and seniors. Group discounts available. Call 303-322-7009 for more information, or check www.dmns.org.
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DMNS-04-121 Many of the Museum’s educational programs and exhibits are made possible in part by generous funding from the citizens of the seven-county metro area through the Scientific & Cultural Facilities District (SCFD). IMAX® is a registered trademark of Imax Corporation.
