Documentary Review: "Ghost Bird"
Hi,
Just watched an interesting documentary by Scott Crocker -- "Ghost Bird". Here's the trailer...
As you can tell by the clip, there are several stories woven into one film. Thoughts...
- Technically, it's pretty good... The intro is a bit too long, the sound production is uneven, and the entire piece could have been tightened by about 15 to 30 minutes. But all told this is still great work. While this didn't come out of the Cornell Dept. of Ornithology, it did feature interviews with heavyweights such as David Sibley and Scott Edwards (curator of Harvard's Museum of Comparative Zoology).
- As I see it, the first story is simply that of the bird itself... does it, or does it not still exist? That's a tough question in that some pretty qualified people on both sides of the question are weighing in...
- Interwoven into the question above are the politics (grant money) involved. From small-town officials to the federal government, everyone has a vested interest.
- This is also the story of little America (Brinkley, AR) facing tough times. The purported sighting of the Ivory-billed Woodpecker has been a boon to the local economy just as the 1947 "crash of a UFO" in Roswell has created a rather lucrative cottage industry there.
- Finally, there is the all-too-human narrative of wishful thinking on the part of the guy on the street, the ornithologists, the business folk, and even the viewer... I mean, wouldn't it be cool if there was final irrefutable proof that somehow, this beautiful creature somehow managed to elude humankind's selfish crush?
Bottom line?" Well... This isn't Ken Burns, but it's pretty high-grade stuff and would be enjoyed by all family members... Most heartedly recommended... If you can get the Documentary Channel (or better yet, buy it)!
By the feeders,
CapeCodAlan
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