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The Unnatural History of the Kākāpō
Film (Excerpts) – 2009
This documentary tells the tenuous survivor story of the kākāpō: the nocturnal flightless green parrot with "big sideburns and Victorian gentlemen's face" (as comedian Stephen Fry put it). A sole breeding population for the evolutionary oddity (the world's largest parrot; it can live up to 120 years) is marooned on remote Codfish Island. The multi award-winning film had rare access to the recovery programme and its dramatic challenges. This excerpt sees a rugged journey to the island to search for a kākāpō named Bill, and the chance to hear the "bizarre ballad" of its mating boom.
A highly entertaining story with heart in the mouth suspense, setbacks, heroic ingenuity, and perseverance above and beyond.– Reviewer Helene Wong, in The Listener
Key Cast & Crew
Leyton Langeveld
Chris Tegg
Ian McGee
Scott Mouat
Stacey Hertnon
Scott Mouat
Acknowledgements
Made with funding from John Darby and NHNZ
Music
Soundtrack features vocals by Ariana Tikao
'Te Heke' and 'Kākāpō' composed by Ariana Takao and Leyton Langeveld, and performed by Ariana Tikao
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