Travelling Birds

2003, rereleased 2009

Originally released in 2001 as Le Peuple Migrateur

Nature Documentary

France

Galatee Films

Hopscotch (Australia)

R4 DVD

Reviewer: Bob Estreich

This documentary is, not surprisingly, about migrating birds. What is surprising is the sheer quality of what could be a rather boring film. It covers the world, not just Europe, and many international film crews have contributed. Quite a lot of the film is of birds in flight taken from the birds’ level by cameramen in ultralight aircraft. Young birds had been “imprinted” to be comfortable around the aircraft. This gives the footage and the story a unique perspective.

The story such as it is covers the migration of birds to the Arctic and Antarctic regions during the spring and summer. At these times the areas are a safe and bountiful breeding ground for the birds, although seeing the thousands of birds breeding on near-vertical cliffs makes you wonder how safe they really are. There is a wonderful shot of an adventurous gull chick taking that first step off the cliff and plummeting down into the water. Flies real bad but swims real good. Lets hope its flying technique improved rapidly.

Breeding brings on the strangest mating rituals and this segment of the film provides some hilarious comic relief.

As the colder weather returns in autumn the huge flocks of birds head south again for the warmer climates. This time the trip is not as easy. The birds now carry extra weight and many will fall into the ocean from exhaustion. Others will perish in bad weather or die crossing the Sahara desert to their starting point in Africa. Still more will fall to hunters as they pause to rest on lakes along the way. Even the warm-water ponds of a steelworks offer a false refuge – the sludge at the edges can trap an unwary and exhausted bird. Some birds fly tremendous distances. The Arctic Tern flies from the Arctic to the Antarctic each year.

In the Antarctic we see the huge penguin rookeries that form each year. We also see the predators that take advantage of the many chicks, a ready source of food.

The documentary has the minimum of narration, preferring to let the film of the birds carry the story. There are many special moments throughout the film such as the shot of a baby swan rising up through its mother’s tail feathers to take its first look at the world, or the baby grebes riding on their mother’s back during their first foray on the water. The birds seem to be natural-born posers and the cinematographers have captured truly great shots. The scenery shots are just as good.

It’s spectacular, it’s beautiful and it’s dramatic. It is one of the best nature documentaries I have seen in a very long while. The only extra is “The Making Of ...” and we find that over 400 people were involved worldwide. This film is a tribute to their dedication.

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This review will appear in Volume 2 No.6 (2009) of the digital and print edition of Synergy Magazine.

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