{"id":19868,"date":"2015-04-22T14:51:56","date_gmt":"2015-04-22T18:51:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.allaboutbirds.org\/news\/?p=19868"},"modified":"2015-07-27T15:19:16","modified_gmt":"2015-07-27T19:19:16","slug":"19868","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.allaboutbirds.org\/news\/19868\/","title":{"rendered":"Emptying the Skies: Q&A With Directors of Film on Songbird Hunting"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"alignright size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.allaboutbirds.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/04\/EmptyingtheSkiesPoster.jpg\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.allaboutbirds.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/04\/EmptyingtheSkiesPoster.jpg 486w, https:\/\/www.allaboutbirds.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/04\/EmptyingtheSkiesPoster-480x710.jpg 480w\" sizes=\"\" alt=\"Emptying the Skies movie poster\" loading=\"lazy\" \/><figcaption><\/figcaption>\n              <\/figure><\/div>\n<div class=\"wp-block-group sidebar-alignright sidebar-space order-bottom\"><!--HubSpot Call-to-Action Code --><span class=\"hs-cta-wrapper\" id=\"hs-cta-wrapper-a8fe3c9a-217b-40fd-b1ff-2bb76ebe2cf3\"><span class=\"hs-cta-node hs-cta-a8fe3c9a-217b-40fd-b1ff-2bb76ebe2cf3\" id=\"hs-cta-a8fe3c9a-217b-40fd-b1ff-2bb76ebe2cf3\"><!--[if lte IE 8]><div id=\"hs-cta-ie-element\"><\/div><![endif]--><a href=\"http:\/\/cta-redirect.hubspot.com\/cta\/redirect\/95627\/a8fe3c9a-217b-40fd-b1ff-2bb76ebe2cf3\" ><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"hs-cta-img\" id=\"hs-cta-img-a8fe3c9a-217b-40fd-b1ff-2bb76ebe2cf3\" style=\"border-width:0px;\" src=\"https:\/\/no-cache.hubspot.com\/cta\/default\/95627\/a8fe3c9a-217b-40fd-b1ff-2bb76ebe2cf3.png\"  alt=\"New self-paced course: Learn How to Identify Bird Songs, Click to Learn More\" loading=\"lazy\" \/><\/a><\/span><script charset=\"utf-8\" src=\"https:\/\/js.hscta.net\/cta\/current.js\"><\/script><script type=\"text\/javascript\"> hbspt.cta.load(95627, 'a8fe3c9a-217b-40fd-b1ff-2bb76ebe2cf3', {}); <\/script><\/span><!-- end HubSpot Call-to-Action Code -->\r\n<!--<span class=\"hs-cta-wrapper\" id=\"hs-cta-wrapper-394b2cc2-4447-4677-b18b-d2f2de5b57cd\">\r\n    <span class=\"hs-cta-node hs-cta-394b2cc2-4447-4677-b18b-d2f2de5b57cd\" id=\"hs-cta-394b2cc2-4447-4677-b18b-d2f2de5b57cd\">-->\r\n        <!--[if lte IE 8]><div id=\"hs-cta-ie-element\"><\/div><![endif]-->\r\n        <!--<a href=\"http:\/\/cta-redirect.hubspot.com\/cta\/redirect\/95627\/394b2cc2-4447-4677-b18b-d2f2de5b57cd\"  target=\"_blank\" ><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"hs-cta-img\" id=\"hs-cta-img-394b2cc2-4447-4677-b18b-d2f2de5b57cd\" style=\"border-width:0px;\" src=\"https:\/\/no-cache.hubspot.com\/cta\/default\/95627\/394b2cc2-4447-4677-b18b-d2f2de5b57cd.png\"  alt=\"Join the Cornell Lab\" loading=\"lazy\" \/><\/a>\r\n    <\/span>\r\n    <script charset=\"utf-8\" src=\"https:\/\/js.hscta.net\/cta\/current.js\"><\/script>\r\n    <script type=\"text\/javascript\">\r\n        hbspt.cta.load(95627, '394b2cc2-4447-4677-b18b-d2f2de5b57cd', {});\r\n    <\/script>\r\n<\/span>-->\r\n<!-- end HubSpot Call-to-Action Code -->\r\n\r\n<\/div>\n<p>A documentary about songbird migration and illegal hunting in Europe is out\u00a0in\u00a0the iTunes store.\u00a0<em><a href=\"http:\/\/www.musicboxfilms.com\/emptying-the-skies-movies-114.php\">Emptying the Skies<\/a><\/em>\u2014named for and inspired by <a href=\"http:\/\/www.newyorker.com\/magazine\/2010\/07\/26\/emptying-the-skies\">a 2010\u00a0Jonathan Franzen article<\/a>\u00a0that exposed the scale of\u00a0the problem\u2014is a fascinating and at times harrowing look at the clash between cultural traditions and new environmental realities. (<a href=\"https:\/\/itunes.apple.com\/us\/movie\/emptying-the-skies\/id983044318\">Find it on iTunes here<\/a>.)<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s also a thought-provoking exploration of the nature of activism. It centers on\u00a0three Italian members of a European organization called the <a href=\"http:\/\/www.komitee.de\/en\/homepage\">Committee Against Bird Slaughter<\/a>, each with a different background. One is an articulate environmentalist; another\u00a0a vegan animal-rights activist; the third\u00a0a banker from Milan. But for each of them, something about the scale of hunting\u00a0and the helplessness of the songbirds\u00a0struggling in their traps compels them to move beyond political protests. They sneak onto private land (although they often alert the local police to their plans ahead of time), destroying traps and risking dangerous confrontations with the landowners.<\/p>\n<p>Though the film is solidly on the side of the activists, it provides some balance by airing the side of the hunters and trappers. Some\u00a0turn out to be elderly men and women cherishing a link to the past; others are loud and violent. The film suggests\u00a0that others\u00a0are\u00a0linked\u00a0to organized crime.<\/p>\n<p>The story unfolds through interviews with the activists and other players, and it\u2019s enlivened by\u00a0beautiful cinematography filmed throughout a year across France, Italy, and Cyprus. Interspersed are many shots of birds caught and sometimes suffering in a variety of low-tech, often cruel snares. The footage is\u00a0not always easy to watch, but the activists\u00a0are ultimately\u00a0uplifting in their attempt to balance direct action with nonviolence, and their conviction\u00a0that things are getting better as a result.<\/p>\n<p>We got an inside look at the film through a Q&amp;A with the film\u2019s directors, Doug and Roger Kass. Read on for their take on filming during sometimes-hostile field operations, what makes the activists tick, and whether the film is ultimately hopeful.<\/p>\n<p><strong><strong>Cornell Lab: W<\/strong>here are you from, how did you find out about this issue\u2014and what made you want to make this film?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Roger Kass:<\/strong>\u00a0Born and raised in Bedford, New York, I have a background in law and movie production.\u00a0 I first learned of the issues presented in <em>Emptying the Skies<\/em>\u00a0by reading Jonathan Franzen\u2019s story in the\u00a0<em>New Yorker<\/em>\u00a0magazine and wanted to make a film about it to bring these terrible truths to a larger audience.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n              <figure class=\"size-small alignnone\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.allaboutbirds.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/04\/BlackcapLEFT-jefflack1.jpg\" srcset=\"\" sizes=\"\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" \/><figcaption>The Blackcap (Sylvia atricapilla) is a commonly hunted species in the Mediterranean. This female safely returned to her northern breeding grounds in England. <em>Photo by <a href=\"https:\/\/flic.kr\/p\/pryBmr\">jefflack Wildlife &amp; Nature<\/a> via <a href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/groups\/birdshare\/\">Birdshare<\/a>.<\/em><\/figcaption>\n              <\/figure>\n            <\/div>\n<p>The main characters in the movie are environmentalists and people who love animals, but they don\u2019t seem like bird watchers exactly. What motivates them to take this interest in tiny songbirds? Follow-up question: they are all men. Why do you think there were no women?<\/p>\n<p><strong>Doug Kass:<\/strong> As is often the case, there were a lot of things we weren\u2019t able to put into the final film. Most CABS members we met were very passionate bird watchers and had extensive lists of sightings, as well as favorite locations, and bucket lists. You could describe them as \u201cextreme bird-watchers,\u201d because unlike most birders, they come into physical contact with the birds.<\/p>\n\n<p>As much violence as there is in the film against the birds, and the CABS members trying to save the birds, it\u2019s only a sampling of what happens in the field. It\u2019s extremely dangerous, and common that physical beatings take place. We chose to focus on three guys who have a very tight bond and rely on each other in very stressful situations, but there are also many women who go on missions with CABS. They are brave and skillful and very resolute. In some locations women are a special asset to the team because poachers have no problem attacking men, but when it comes to women, they don\u2019t know how to proceed. That too though, is not always the case. It\u2019s also worth mentioning that there are volunteers from all over the world who feel this work is important enough to join in the effort. Obviously we could not represent everyone.<\/p>\n<p>One of the brave women who we filmed but ultimately were not able to put into the edit was the mother of one of our principal subjects\u2013 Andrea. Mothers around the world will go to extremes to be with their children. In this case, we filmed Andrea\u2019s mother on a mission in Cyprus, the most dangerous of all locations. Since Andrea is almost always out in the field, she felt like this would be one of the only ways to spend time with him. She was fearless.<\/p>\n<p><strong>The movie focuses on an organization called CABS that takes direct action to destroy bird traps, and trespasses on private property in order to do it. A second organization, BirdLife Cyprus, seems more interested in a non-confrontational, political solution. Which of these approaches do you feel will be more successful in the long run?\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Doug Kass:<\/strong> While the two organizations do have their differences, they do a lot of work together. Their final goal is very much a common one. As with many environmental issues, it\u2019s going to take the work of a lot of people, and a lot of approaches. I think both organizations are important and valuable to the cause. One thing to bear in mind about CABS though, is that they also do more conventional political work; lobbying, and passing on information behind the scenes. At the same time, they feel that by taking the risks there\u2019s a chance that people will take notice, and of course they\u2019re right.<\/p>\n<p><strong>The activists risk being threatened or attacked by hunters, and the film recounts a couple of altercations that came to blows. Was the camera crew ever attacked, and how did you feel about the risks you were taking?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Roger Kass:<\/strong>\u00a0During our first trip to film in Cyprus, the cameraman\/director and I were filming the activists dismantling illegal traps when we were chased by a band of poachers for over an hour.\u00a0 They were in trucks and we were on foot and it was very scary as they closed in on us, violently cursing and threatening us. The police arrived in time to prevent bloodshed on that occasion but it was very close and we were very shaken. The CABS activists we followed were not always so lucky, however, and have been violently attacked in Cyprus and elsewhere repeatedly. It\u2019s really a wonder none of them have been killed yet, since they\u2019ve been shot at, stoned, clubbed, and beaten up so many times.\u00a0I have to say that I was a bit naive about the potential to be harmed when we first began the film and once I fully realized how dangerous the undertaking was, I questioned the wisdom and sanity of it all many times, yet still pressed ahead. At a certain point you just give yourself over to self-belief and fate.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed legacy-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio alignright\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"YouTube embed Js6tM4ClJHk\" width=\"1200\" height=\"675\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/Js6tM4ClJHk?feature=oembed\"><\/iframe><\/div><figcaption><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><strong>In making a film about the natural world, was it a difficult decision to show so many scenes of birds suffering or dying in traps? How did you balance this in the movie, and do you feel in the end that the movie is hopeful or mournful?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Doug Kass:<\/strong> It was definitely hard to see the animals suffering. Through CABS\u2019 archive and our own filming, there were many more images than we could use, which is sad, but I think the film strikes a good balance.<\/p>\n<p>The ending, I like to\u00a0think, offers some hope. I also would like to think that it inspires others in some way or another. If it does that, then of course there\u2019s hope.<\/p>\n<p>You can <a href=\"https:\/\/itunes.apple.com\/us\/movie\/emptying-the-skies\/id983044318?ls=1\">find the <em>Emptying the Skies<\/em> trailer in\u00a0the iTunes store here<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><strong>SPECIAL NOTE FOR NEW YORK CITY:<\/strong> Thanks to a donor, free tickets are available to the film\u2019s opening run in New York City this week. <a href=\"https:\/\/docs.google.com\/forms\/d\/1LPlHEHpoqsnRrRPFgunTry5Z71pUNOkowb941vrC18A\/viewform\">Claim your two free tickets while supplies last<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h3><strong>More Cornell Lab movie reviews:<\/strong><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.allaboutbirds.org\/news\/pelican-dreams-the-cornell-lab-movie-review\/\">Pelican Dreams: The Cornell Lab Movie Review<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.allaboutbirds.org\/news\/a-birders-guide-to-everything-our-movie-review\/\">A Birder\u2019s Guide to Everything: Our Movie Review<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.allaboutbirds.org\/news\/birders-the-central-park-effect\/\">Birders: The Central Park Effect<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.allaboutbirds.org\/news\/the-big-year-our-movie-review\/\">The Big Year: Our Movie Review<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A documentary about songbird migration and illegal hunting in Europe is out\u00a0in\u00a0the iTunes store.\u00a0Emptying the Skies\u2014named for and inspired by a 2010\u00a0Jonathan Franzen article\u00a0that exposed the scale of\u00a0the problem\u2014is a<a class=\"excerpt-read-more\" href=\"https:\/\/www.allaboutbirds.org\/news\/19868\/\" title=\"ReadEmptying the Skies: Q&#038;A With Directors of Film on Songbird Hunting\">&#8230; Read more 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