The Messenger

Environmental & Science Education
Edward Hessler


The website of the remarkable documentary film, The Messenger, provides a synopsis of the film:

By Rennett Stowe from
 USA (Turquoise Tanager  Uploaded by russavia)
[CC BY 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)],
via Wikimedia Commons

Su Rynard's wide ranging and contemplative documentary THE MESSENGER explores our deep-seated connection to birds and warns that the uncertain fate of songbirds might mirror our own. Moving from the northern reaches of the Boreal Forest to the base of Mount Ararat in Turkey to the streets of New York, THE MESSENGER brings us face-to-face with a remarkable variety of human-made perils that have devastated thrushes, warblers, orioles, tanagers, grosbeaks and many other airborne music makers.

On one level, THE MESSENGER is an engaging, visually stunning, emotional journey, one that mixes its elegiac message with hopeful notes and unique glances into the influence of songbirds on our own expressions of the soul. On another level, THE MESSENGER is the artful story about the mass depletion of songbirds on multiple continents, and about those who are working to turn the tide.

In ancient times humans looked to the flight and songs of birds to protect the future.  Today, once again, birds have something to tell us. 


How the Birds were Filmed
So, how are songbirds filmed in flight?  It would seem an impossible task. Just one of the issues is that these birds fly at night. Here director Su Rynard describes how all this was done and has produced a short film to show us.

A previous post, provides more information about THE MESSENGER.