BuzzFlash Reviews
The Wild Parrots of Telegraph Hill (DVD)
Directed by Judy Irving
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Answer: because this lovingly made and edited film brought us a little closer to a species we share the earth with. That sounds so lofty, doesn't it? But it's true.
It's really rather a simple story, a middle-aged man devotes himself to caring for wild parrots who have taken up residence in the trees surrounding a "carriage house" he is squatting in. That's the story.
But, you learn so much about kindness, compassion, tenderness, and the personality of the birds and Mark Bittner -- the caretaker and human companion of the parrots.
The cinematography is as vivid as the colors of the parrots and the portrait of Bittner done with sensitivity and respect.
During one encounter in the film, a man challenges Bittner as to the value of what he is doing. It's an important moment, because it is an issue in the back of the viewer's mind at the beginning of the film. Is Bittner just an eccentric wasting his time?
By the end of the documentary, as a surprising turn of events unfolds, the answer is clear. Bittner and the parrots shared a special relationship which few people can say that they have experienced. Both blended into the backdrop of nature on Telegraph Hill.
Because Bittner is so comfortable and rewarded by what he is doing, the viewer is set at ease and allowed to enjoy learning about the personalities and peculiarities of the parrots. It is like meeting a large extended family.
There is something spiritually restorative about Bittner's commitment. In the end, the viewer ends up questioning his or her own priorities, not Bittner's.
And there's the story of his pony tail, which -- all we can say without giving it away -- has a happy ending that fortuitously seems to close the circle of the film.
Yes, there is life away from politics and the runaway administration squatting in the White House. It can be a rich, full life that has nothing to do with traditional standards of success. What Bittner did and the filmmaker Judy Irving documents enriches us all.
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