wild parrots of telegraph hill, the

Director Judy Irving / 2004 / USA

The personalities of a flock of oversized budgies and their hippy caretaker ensnare you in the irresistibly charming The Wild Parrots of Telegraph Hill.

"It's also a portrait of Mark Bittner, the quasi-Saint Francis of San Francisco, who monitors, feeds, and - simply put - loves these creatures, while rigorously insisting on their essential freedom. Bittner came to the city on the Beat-hippie cusp with dreams of being a musician; he still seems to exist on air and complimentary carbohydrates." - Village Voice

"It would have been easy for a filmmaker in search of novelty to treat the eccentric bird-fancying subject of Judy Irving's documentary like a sitting duck. Just aim the camera, fire and assemble the torn feathers into the portrait of a bohemian crank. But in Irving's affectionate film, Bittner is more of a sage than a deadbeat. By the end of the movie, you might even begin reconsidering your relationship with the animal kingdom." - New York Times


D/P Judy Irving WS Pelican Media TD 35mm/col/2004/83mins

Judy Irving's films are Kids by the Bay (1999), The Wild Parrots of Telegraph Hill (MIFF 05).

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