FLYING EVEN HIGHER THE SECOND TIME

THE WILD PARROTS OF TELEGRAPH HILL
Produced, directed, filmed and edited by Judy Irving; additional photography by James Attwood, Howard Munson, Mark Bittner, and Jacquelyne Cordes; original music by Chris Michie
With: Mark Bittner and avian costars Mingus, Connor, Olive, Picasso, Sophie, Pushkin, and Tupelo. Rated G. Running time: 83 minutes

Revised rating:

Reviewed by Joel Johnson

“I really want to see the parrot movie,” my wife said to me as we planned our film viewing during the 2004 Maine International Film Festival (MIFF). “Great,” I mumbled to myself. Since I love my wife, and she usually defers to me in the selection of films, I knew that it would not do well to draw a line in the sand over seeing this film. Nevertheless, I had minimal—technically, make that no—interest in seeing a film about parrots. Despite that fundamental disinterest in seeing The Wild Parrots of Telegraph Hill, I saw the film during the festival. It was, however, seen as part of the haze that can develop during a film festival. As exhilarating as it can be to see thirty or more movies during a week, it can warp ones appreciation of certain films. This festival phenomenon is how several films of dubious quality and questionable intrinsic audience attraction (e.g., The House of Yes) have over the years at the Sundance Film Festival turned “buzz” into a bidding war. The result is that the winning distributor can see their victory turn into financial disaster when they discover that no one really wants to see their newly acquired film. Similarly, some films can simply be underappreciated due to “festival fatigue” or its juxtaposition to other films. I did write a modestly favorable (three stars) review after seeing it during MIFF, but it was not my choice for the MIFF Audience Award. Recently, I had the opportunity to see the film for a second time. Not only does the film hold up during a second viewing, but also I began to see that I had undervalued it.

The Wild Parrots of Telegraph Hill opens with a shot of the Golden Gate Bridge, making it clear that Telegraph Hill is a section of San Francisco. We are then introduced to Mark Bittner and the flock of parrots for whom he has acted as an unofficial caretaker. Mark has established intense relationships with a handful of the flock’s members. Considering Mark’s familiarity with the birds and the level of care that he provides for these parrots, it is understandable that some observers may find themselves totally incredulous when he describes the birds as “wild.” However, the parrots are a nonnative species that is thriving on its own. There are several interesting “urban legends” to explain how the flock developed. However they got there, they have been “in the wild” long enough to reproduce so that some have only known this “wild” existence.

Mark introduces us to several parrots by name (Connor, Olive, Mingus, Picasso, Sophie, and Pushkin), and he shares something about each parrot’s life, revealing how each has a unique personality. The relationships that each parrot has with Mark and the relationships that the birds have with each other evolve just like the relationships between people.

The film spends a fair amount of time letting us get to know Mr. Bittner and how he has gone from being a curious observer to becoming a self-taught parrot expert. While the film does not fully address how this seemingly able-bodied man supports himself nor does it explain how his landlords have so generously allowed him to live rent free with several birds for three years, we do learn that this would-be musician has been on his own unique spiritual quest for most of his adult life. He has been influenced by Zen Buddhism. There is no dogmatic “Bittner philosophy” revealed, but it is clear that he is constantly thinking about connections and seeks serenity.

It is this perspective on the nature of life that sets up the most powerful part of the film. Mark is somewhat self-conscious that he is open to criticism for being too anthropomorphic and that he could be seen as a bird-crazy eccentric but lays it all out there when he talks about his relationship with Tupelo, a female parrot that died. After hearing him tell his story, one may never look at birds or animals in the wild in quite the same way.

The film has both a wistfulness and hopefulness to its ending as Mark has to move from his apartment and stop being the parrots’ caretaker. Both he and the birds move into new phases of their lives, though not without some tears and anxiety.

Judy Irving does an excellent job, first doing the video camerawork and then editing together her footage as well as those of other contributors. The colorful birds and the gorgeous city of San Francisco make this a stunningly beautiful film to watch.

In my original review I confessed that I don’t normally seek out wildlife films, but by the end of the film I had found this film to be quite emotionally moving. I must confess now that it is far better than I thought it was. This is truly a great little film, and people should seek it out.  

 

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