The Way of the Birds

The Ways Of The Birds is the story of a little girl who thinks she is a bird. She never speaks to humans, but dances and twitters and talks with the willy wagtails, ravens, magpies and white-plumed honeyeaters that visit her garden. And then one day she finds a dying Eastern Curlew in the backyard and her spirit is transported to the Siberian plains where these great wading birds breed and hatch. She turns into a curlew herself and eventually goes with them on their journey across the world.

When finally her spirit returns home, she wakes from her dreams and buries the curlew with the help of her mother and brother. The neighbour's kids who until then have throught her crazy, decide to join in and they work to create a haven which will provide a vital stopover for the migratory birds. Their labours bear fruit: One day an Eastern Curlew lands in the little swamp that they have created on the edge of their suburb, rests and feeds to regain strength for the rest of its journey.
And the little girl finds the words to speak to her mother for the first time.

Format: Animation
Length: 24 mins
Year: 2000
Producer: Twenty 20 Productions
Director: Sarah Watt
Writer: Sonia Borg, based on a book by Meme McDonald
Composer: David Bridie
Narrator: William McInnes
Investors: The Australian Film Commission, Film Victoria, The Australian Commercial Television Production Fund.
Sales/Distribution: Screen on Seven Network; originally distributed via AFI; distribution rights currebtly available
Festivals/Awards: Australian Film Institute Awards 2000 nominated for best animated short film; Australian Screen Sound Guild Award 2000 Best Achievement for Sound in Animation; Best Film (Class C) Cinanima International Animated Film Festival Portugal 2000; ATOM Awards 2001 finalist in short fiction category; Sydney Film Festival 2000 commended; St Kilda Film Festival 2001 screened in competition.

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