The Lord God Bird
2008 FESTIVAL
90 min.
The ivory-billed woodpecker had been presumed extinct for decades. Then came the report in spring of 2005 that the ivory-billed woodpecker had been discovered deep in the swamps of Arkansas. The rarest of rare birds, the ivory-bill is so spectacular that according to folk legend those who see it spontaneously cry out “Lord God!” For most Americans the discovery came as a piece of rare good news from the conservation front. But to the inner circle of bird enthusiasts it was the latest installment in a legendary tale of hope and survival. Made in association with The Nature Conservancy, the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, and National Geographic Feature Films, this strikingly beautiful film, with music by Paul Cantelon (The Diving Bell and the Butterfly), is the first in a planned trilogy of films dealing with extinction by director George Butler.