The Wild Parrots Of Telegraph Hill
(Docudrama)
When I lived in Los Angeles, every day at 5 pm a flock of wild parrots would fly into a huge tree across the street from my apartment, squawk loudly for about an hour, then take off for parts unknown. This went on nearly every day for ten years and I was fascinated by what made them show up at the same time in the same place. It was because of this, that I found myself relating to Mark Bittner – the guy who lived on Telegraph Hill in San Francisco’s North Beach and who became a de facto caretaker to a flock of wild birds that also appeared at the same time every day. Judy Irving’s camera captures each parrot’s unique personality and Bittner’s devotion to them as he describes their individual characteristics and their sociology. There’s Mingus, who bobs and dances in time to music, Connor, a blue-headed bird who’s treated like an outcast, yet remains with the flock and a pair of lovers named Sophie and Picasso, to name a few. There is also Mark’s story – a failed musician who has no income to speak of, yet lives rent-free in his apartment and become something of an icon in his neighborhood. It’s a story filled with joy, sadness and a few surprises that will please family members of all ages.--David Bassin