Stunning. Impossible. Elusive. Rare. Intimate. Epic.

Those are just a few adjectives used to describe British documentary maker David Attenborough's “Planet Earth” film series. The London Daily Mirror called Attenborough's work “a joy to behold...mind blowing.”

Westhaven Center for the Arts will be presenting a different film from the “Planet Earth” series once a month, from May to October. The films are free and open to public, and WCA's founding director Carol Wiebe hopes people will take advantage of this opportunity to see some of the world's most astonishing places right in their own backyard.

”The film footage is some of the most breathtaking I've ever seen,” Wiebe said. “The filmmakers did a remarkable job. I get very, very excited about it.”

In a written statement, Attenborough called the series “a celebration of our planet, not a lament about the state of it. In some areas, there is no doubt we are doing damage to our world, but, at the same time, there is a vast amount of uncharted and untouched wilderness.”

While touching on climate change, the films promise to take viewers to the world's highest peaks, deepest caves and remote deserts. They were shot using state-of-the-art high definition photography and were five years in the making. The penultimate portrait of the planet, it took 40 cameramen, 2,000 days in the field and 200 locations to capture “Planet Earth.”

Series producer Alastair Fothergill stated the power of the scenery is what drove the filmmakers as they went for animals that have never been captured on film as well as places most people have never seen.

Wiebe said WCA has a large screen, high definition television, and that the center “continues to offer our community very high-class exhibits.”

Until October, the center will be presenting “Planet Earth” during its First Friday Free Film Series. The first film in the series, “From Pole to Pole” and “Mountains and Fresh Water” will be shown this Friday.

”It's important for everyone to see these films,” Wiebe said. “Most of the footage is of places most people will never see. There's a sense of awe that we're living on something very, very special.”

Films from the "Planet Earth" series will be shown at the Westhaven Center for the Arts on the first Friday of every month until October. All films start at 7 p.m., and are free to the public. A $5 donation is suggested. WCA is located on the hill above Moonstone Beach at 501 S. Westhaven Drive. For more information, call 677-9493.