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 wetlands near Mount Ararat to the streets of New York City, THE MESSENGER brings us face-to-face with a remarkable variety of human-made perils that have devastated these airborne music-makers.

This amazing film is coming to Owen Sound, on October 27 showing at the Royal Canadian Legion. Show time is 7:00 p.m. Tickets are available at www.bpbo.ca ($15)

On one level, THE MESSENGER is a heartrending 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. Overall this visually thrilling film reveals how the problems facing birds also pose daunting implications for our planet and ourselves.

Moving from the northern reaches of Canada's Boreal Forest to the vast prairies of Saskatchewan, the wetlands of Turkey's Mount Ararat, and to the busy streets of urban Toronto, the scientists, activists and bird enthusiasts featured in THE MESSENGER bring us face-to-face with the beauty of these airborne music-makers and with the remarkable variety of human-made perils that they face: the destruction of our forests, our lethal architecture, predatory pets, human gourmets, industrial agriculture methods and the alarming use of pesticides. All of which are causing the disappearance of songbirds at a disquieting pace. At the same time, THE MESSENGER vividly mixes its elegiac message with hopeful notes and unique glances into the influence of songbirds on our own expressions of the soul.

In the words of Boreal biologist Erin Bayne, "Could we live without birds? We don't really know for sure... That's one of the fundamental concerns when you play with nature, pull one piece out, and maybe that's a pivotal piece, we just don't know."

In ancient times humans looked to birds to foretell the future.

Today, once again, birds have something to tell us.

source: media release, Bruce Peninsual Bird Observatory