Review: THE WEIGHT OF A FEATHER at PBS Passport

THE WEIGHT OF A FTEATHER is a documentary feat that will leave an indelible mark on the heart and mind of its viewers. Its message is a profound, enlightening, and deeply moving reminder of our place in the web of life.

The film, produced and directed by Kristin Atwell Ford (Riders of the Purple Sage: The Making of A Western Opera) is a beautifully crafted exploration of the avian wildlife among us…here in the urban areas and among the traffic of technology…and their inextricable interrelationship with humankind.

Accentuated by the calm, measured, and authoritative narration of Peter Coyote (fittingly, whom Ken Burns described as “God’s stenographer”); Bill Davis’s and his crew’s breathtaking closeups and panoramic photography of wildlife in their unique habitats; the evocative musical arrangements of Alejandro Del Pozo, Tony Duncan, Gentle Fire Studio, Robert Meunier, Chris Phaze, and Young Spirit, THE WEIGHT OF A FEATHER doesn't just tell a story; it invites us to become a part of it and to feel the vitality and spirituality of those whom nature calls to its service.

The story: In the manner of a fine tapestry, the film elegantly weaves together threads that as, a whole, reveal the intricacies of humankind’s interrelationships with other species in our midst.

It focuses on the work of Liberty Wildlife, a Phoenix-based nonprofit center that specializes in wildlife rehabilitation, education, and conservation. Among its extensive range of services, which include habitat restoration and raptor rehabilitation, LW operates a Non-Eagle Feather Repository. The Repository collects feathers from around the world, sorts and classifies them, and then provides them to Indigenous Peoples for use in their traditional ceremonies.

The account is a perfect segue to personal narratives that speak to the importance of the preservation of Indigenous culture and its unique spiritual relationship with the earth, the elements, the animals, and the Master Spirit.

Perhaps, the most intriguing reveal of the documentary is the degree to which the wildlife of which it speaks has come to cohabit in urban areas and, in turn, how initiatives like bird watching and identification and the positioning of utilities are critical to the safety of our feathered friends. The film accounts for the impressive role that Arizona Public Service, the state’s largest electric utility, has played in pollinator protection and in the placement of power lines away from bird migration patterns.

The film informs us about the latitudes and limitations of our interactions with other species. On the one hand, the inspiring story of young Logan proclaims the life-changing power of connecting with the forces of nature. On the other hand, we come to understand the danger of imprinting ~ that, in an urban environment, the more an animal, no matter how cute, is handled, the more difficult it will be to reintroduce it into the wild. 

Beyond its accounts of the dedicated work of Liberty Wildlife professionals and volunteers, the testimonials and rituals of Native Americans, and the insights of collaborative entities like the Arizona Game and Fish Department, the Peregrine Fund, and Salt River Project, the film dramatizes the ethical necessity of environmental mindfulness and the vigilance required to forestall the damage to and extinction of species.

As the 56 minutes of this stunning documentary ended, this writer’s thoughts turn to two writers whose works speak powerfully about our shared responsibility for the ecosystem:

The first is Albert Schweitzer (physician, theologian, organist). In his seminal work, Civilization and Ethics, this Renaissance man offered a radical proposition for the times: that “reverence for life” is a “fundamental principle of morality.” To be good, he said, was to engage “in maintaining, assisting and enhancing life.” To do evil was “to destroy, to harm or to hinder life.” In the words of his biographer, James Brabazon, “we are brothers and sisters to all living things, and owe to all of them the same care and respect, that we wish for ourselves.”

Then there is Fritjof Capra (physicist and deep ecologist). In The Tao of Physics, he explained the compatibility between quantum physics and the spirituality of Eastern philosophies. In so doing, he laid the groundwork for The Web of Life. He proclaimed a new paradigm that views “the world as an integrated whole rather than a dissociated collection of parts” and “that, as individuals and societies, we are all embedded in (and ultimately dependent on) the cyclical processes of nature.”

These precepts are magically embodied in THE WEIGHT OF A FEATHER.

This is a documentary that begs to be shared in schools, where a younger generation needs to be mindful of the lessons laid out in the film.

It is also a work that begs for the attention of an older generation that needs to revere the web of life and embrace the ethical imperative of intergenerational equity ~ that every generation needs to pass the Earth and our natural and cultural resources in at least as good, if not far better, condition as we received them.

THE WEIGHT OF A FEATHER has been nominated for six Rocky Mountain Emmy® Awards: Best Environment / Science Program (long form), Best Director (Kristin Atwell Ford), Best Photographer (Bill Davis), Best Writer (Kristin Atwell Ford), Best Editor (Bill Davis and Misty Wilson), and Best Graphics Arts (Misty Wilson).

The film is available for viewing PBS Passport (https://www.pbs.org/show/weight-feather/) and, for a limited time, on Liberty Wildlife's website (https://libertywildlife.org/publications/weight-of-a-feather/).

Liberty Wildlife ~ 2600 E. Elwood Street, Phoenix, AZ ~ 480-998-5550 ~ info@libertywildlife.org ~ https://libertywildlife.org/

Quantum Leap Productions ~ https://www.qlpdigital.com/ ~ 5020 S Ash Avenue, Tempe, AZ ~ 480-990-7988

Graphic credit to Quantum Leap Productions

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