I’m a bird photographer in my spare time, and last year I was asked to review a documentary film about two piping plovers named Monty and Rose. I’d heard about those birds because they were actually headline news: Monty and Rose were a pair trying to raise families on a popular Chicago beach. Their story was newsworthy mostly because of a battle between protecting the birds and the town hosting a large music festival on the beach. These two tiny birds became a story of hope and resilience. Piping plovers are a threatened species, and so their protection is paramount. The documentary features wonderful footage of Monty and Rose, as well as words of hope from the humans who helped make the birds’ survival possible.
I’m happy to share my published review, which can be found at www.aba.org/the-piping-plovers-that-changed-a-city/. An excerpt:
Monty and Rose 2: The World of Monty and Rose is an efficiently paced, earnest documentary about two Piping Plovers in Chicago who became symbols of triumph. These two diminutive shorebirds changed a literal landscape for the better, offering hope to a community. With the odds against their survival, Monty and Rose faced conflict from both humans and the natural world. Directed by Bob Dolgan, Monty and Rose 2 is a follow-up to his 2019 documentary short, Monty and Rose, demonstrating the importance of protecting wildlife and the ripple effect it has on conservation – and our lives.
https://www.aba.org/the-piping-plovers-that-changed-a-city/
Thanks to anyone who reads my review! I do recommend the film, especially to those who are interested in wildlife conservation or birding. And although this film is titled as a sequel, you don’t need to see the first film before watching this one.
Monty and Rose 2: The World of Monty and Rose, directed by Bob Dolgan
- Production Company: Turnstone, 2021
- Run time: 53 minutes
Film the film on Letterboxd
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