Documentaries, old and new, with stills and notes for students, makers, and observers of documentary film and video. ______________________________________________________________________________________________
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
Judy Irving
The 16 mm film documentary, The Wild Parrots of Telegraph Hill (2005), by Judy Irving (bottom still), is both a nature doc and an intimate biography of Mark Bittner, who observes and befriends the birds. Parallels between man and bird run throughout the film, with Bittner (middle) sometimes seeming to be describing himself when he's talking about the parrot flock. Spectacular close-ups of birds, multi-layered insights into human and animal behavior, and a kick-ass surprise ending make the film a fun watch.