This just might be the ultimate selfie. It’s a big-screen movie ordered up by the Ohio Department of Natural Resources starring the natural resources of Ohio. Yeah, that selfie label is admittedly a real stretch — not only because it’s a 45-minute-long movie rather than an in-your-face snapshot, but also because it wasn’t the ODNR holding the camera. That was the talented folks at MacGillivray Freeman, makers of many outstanding features, including the subject of my first-ever movie review.

Of course, I watched Ohio: Wild at Heart at the Robert D. Lindner Family OMNIMAX® Theater in Cincinnati. I was there at its first screening on Friday. This is the third theater, after Toledo and Dayton, to add the movie to its schedule. It will soon be added by several others, as listed here.

The movie begins with the story of the recovery of the state’s bald eagle population from just four nesting pairs in 1979 to nearly 1000 nests today. The successful reintroduction of trumpeter swans to the state, with their removal from Ohio’s threatened species list just over a year ago, is a story told later in the movie. Other successful conservation projects, including major cleanups of the state’s waterways, are also documented. Governor DeWine, who was instrumental in getting the movie produced, emphasizes the word “education” when discussing it. He sees making Ohioans aware of what they have as an important mission. He has said, “If people love the rivers. If they love the lakes. If they love all the beauty of this state, they’re going to take care of it.”

MacGillivray Freeman does a wonderful job of capturing “all the beauty of this state” on the screen. There are gorgeous shots of swans on mirror-smooth lakes, and stunning aerial views of eagles in flight and in nests, of kayaks on rivers, and hikers, bikers, and dog sledders on trails. Yes, dog sledders! Before I saw this movie, this lifelong resident of the Buckeye state had no idea that dog sledding was a thing anywhere within its borders. That’s education.

There are people in the movie. Governor DeWine makes an appearance along with his wife Fran. There are enlightening conversations with folks enjoying all of the things I’ve mentioned, plus bird spotting, firefly watching, and much more. Narration is supplied by a true Ohio natural resource. Archie Griffin, the world’s only two-time Heisman Trophy winner, who was born in Ohio and played his high school, college, and professional football in the state, nails it.

The movie’s website highlights the quote “When we take care of nature, nature takes care of us.” I don’t know if I missed that exact line in the movie or if it’s a minor paraphrasing of a line I did hear and was impressed by enough to make a note of: “We make a commitment to restoring nature because nature restores us.” Both lines are insightful and worth repeating. I have no doubt that Ohio: Wild at Heart will do a fine job of making Ohioans aware of what we have, and I’ve a very strong hunch that it’s going to make a lot of other folks aware of it too.