WINGED MIGRATION
Directed by: Jacques Cluzard, Michel Debats & Jacques Perrin.
Produced by: Christophe Barratier & Perrin.
Written by: Stéphane Durand & Perrin.
Director of Photography: Michael Benjamin, Sylive Carcedo-Dreujou and others.
Edited by: Marie-Josèphe Yoyette.
Music by: Bruno Coulais.
Released by: Sony Picture Classics.
Country of Origin: France/Italy/Germany/Spain/Switzerland. 98 min. Rated: G.
With: Narration by Perrin.
DVD Special Features: Director Commentary. "The Making of" & "Creating the Music" featurettes. Photo Gallery. Filmmaker Interview. Trailers. Weblinks. English, Hindi, Portuguese & Spanish Subtitles.

A jaw-dropping documentary that will appeal to all ages. The cinematographers follow the annual northern avian migration from all over the globe and the return south before winter’s arrival. Most of the seamlessly edited sequences are close-ups of birds flying high in the sky in a V-formation. Other incredible close-ups include hatchlings being fed and a tropical bird freeing itself from a wooden cage. It is a wonder how the cinematography was achieved. Among the other breathtaking sequences include birds flying over the Great Wall of China, an avalanche in Nepal, and penguins sunning themselves in Antarctica. Are the visuals enough to sustain interest? Yes. However, there is a subtle cultural bias. A bird is caught in the muck of an environmentally poisonous Eastern Europe, while others are shot and killed by North American hunters. Meanwhile, Europe, Asia, and Africa are depicted in bucolic splendor. This is a slight flaw for an otherwise enthralling film in which the visually stunning cinematography can’t fail to captivate.
July 8, 2003

Extras: “The Making of” and photo gallery features are the standouts, providing a wealth of information about the worldwide logistics of this four-year production and the featured birds. Neither will dispel the magic of the film.

The filmmaker interview offers riveting anecdotes. (Don’t worry - the bird with the broken wing was not harmed). Director Jacques Perrin’s commentary also offers assurances regarding the birds’ welfare during the shoot. However, his thick French accent may be tough going, as he discusses “effects special” and refers to crabs as crepes. KT
December 29, 2003