Our Feathered Friends

From the producers of City of Bees (VL-9/06) and Hanging with the Sloth (VL-1/07), Our Feathered Friends offers a gorgeously-filmed, intimate look into the everyday lives of chickens (as well as a few other birds, such as pheasants, hawks, and swallows). Featuring voiceover narration from a child's perspective, the story follows two young brothers over the course of a year on their grandmother's farm, along the way presenting a guided tour of all things chicken: the breed's origins, development, eating habits, and social interactions. Viewers will see a surprising amount of soap opera quality drama in a chicken's life, ranging from roosters struggling for dominance, to one hen's quest to have chicks. The cinematography is beautiful—much of it from a ground-level “chicken's-eye” view—bringing small details of nature alive in conjunction with the informative and charming narration and delightful soundtrack. Viewers may never look at an egg the same way again! DVD extras include a photo gallery, as well as a downloadable lesson plan/guidebook. Highly recommended. Aud: E, I, P. (E. Gieschen)