Editing Winged Migration

{{short description|2001 film}}
{{more citations needed|date=April 2009}}
{{Infobox film
| name            = Winged Migration
| image           = Winged Migration movie.jpg
| caption         = theatrical poster
| director        = [[Jacques Perrin]]<br />[[Jacques Cluzaud]]<br />[[Michel Debats]]
| writer          = [[Jean Dorst]]<br />Jacques Perrin
| narrator        = Jacques Perrin<br />[[Philippe Labro]]
| producer        = [[Christophe Barratier]]<br />Jacques Perrin
| music           = [[Bruno Coulais]]
| cinematography  =
| editing         =
| studio          = <!-- or: | production_companies = -->
| distributor     = [[BAC Films]] (France)<br />Lucky Red (Italy)<br />Kinowelt Filmverleih (Germany)<br />Ascot Elite Entertainment Group (Switzerland)
| released        = {{Film date|2001|12|12|France|df=y}}
| runtime         = 97 minutes
| country         = France<br />Italy<br />Germany<br />Switzerland<ref>{{cite web|url=http://en.unifrance.org/movie/15634/winged-migration|title=Winged Migration (2000)|website=en.unifrance.org}}</ref>
| language        = English<br />French
| budget          = $23.6 million
| gross           = $52.8 million<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.jpbox-office.com/fichfilm.php?id=2089|title=Le Peuple migrateur (Winged Migration) (2001)- JPBox-Office|last=JP|website=www.jpbox-office.com}}</ref>
}}

'''''Winged Migration''''' ({{langx|fr|'''Le Peuple Migrateur'''}}, also known as '''''The Travelling Birds''''' in some UK releases, or '''''The Travelling Birds: An Adventure in Flight''''' in Australia) is a 2001 [[documentary film]] directed by [[Jacques Cluzaud]], [[Michel Debats]] and [[Jacques Perrin]], who was also one of the writers and narrators, showcasing the immense journeys routinely made by birds during their [[Bird migration|migrations]].

The film is dedicated to the French [[ornithologist]] [[Jean Dorst]].

== Plot ==
The movie takes the viewer on a journey alongside many species of [[bird]]s from the old and new world.

It begins on [[Europe]], following the ending of winter on a riverside, where [[European robin]]s, [[cuckoo]]s and [[Common kingfisher|kingfishers]] feed with the plenty of spring. A flock of [[Greylag goose|Greylag geese]] soon land and depart when a kid spooks them off; one of the geese gets tangled in a net, but the kid manages to release it and it reunites with its flock as night falls.

After a flight with the geese flock and a [[Mallard]], the movie shifts to the view of two other birds: the [[Common crane]], seen arriving at a farm and accidentally spooked by an old lady, and [[White stork]], who arrives to breed on the roofs of buildings. [[Barnacle goose|Barnacle geese]] are then followed on a flight across shorelines while whooper swans soar across [[Asia]] towards [[Japan]]. The film also showcases a group of [[Red-crowned crane|Japanese cranes]] dancing as a mating ritual and a flock of [[Bar-headed goose|Bar-headed geese]] escaping an avalanche on the Himalayas.

On [[North America]], in the [[Grand Canyon|Grand canyon]], a [[Bald eagle]] sees a flock of [[Canada goose|Canada geese]] fly north, with the flock landing to take a rest but soon spooked by a herd of [[Mustang|wild horse]], accidentally causing one to get lost. [[Clark's grebe|Clark's greebe]] run in the water in sychrony to court before a group of [[American white pelican]]s arrive. [[Sandhill crane]]s arrive at a lake to pass the night before making their final flight north.

On a field, some songbirds like [[Red-winged blackbird]] and [[Yellow-headed blackbird]] sing amidst a wetland while on a field, [[combine harvester]]s reap the fruits of their labor, unaware they're close to a [[Quail|quail's]] nest. The flock of Canada geese seen earlier fly over a farm where a farm goose tries to follow to no success.

[[Greater sage-grouse]] fight for the right to mate, while [[Snow goose|Snow geese]] make one final stretch to reach the [[Arctic Circle]] just in time for spring. The ice on the north thaws as glaciers begin to break. [[Arctic tern]]s hunt for fish near the breaking zone while the flock of Barnacle geese turn around.

The tundra bursts with life as hatchlings of dozens of migratory species begin to hatch, from Whooper swans and [[Common loon]]s, to Sandhill cranes, [[Snowy owl]]s, and Snow geese, with one hatchling being chased by a [[Parasitic jaeger]] for getting too close to its nest

On the coasts of the [[Arctic Ocean]], as summer reaches its peak, [[Common eider]]s plunge into the water while [[Atlantic puffin|Puffins]] run the gauntlet of [[Great skua]]s. [[Common murre|Guillemots]], [[Kittiwake|Kitiwakes]] and [[Northern gannet]]s feed and rear their young around the clock. The good times do not last for long, however, for as autumn arrives, food becomes scarce, and birds must now fly back south.

The Barnacle geese flock fly once again through the same route they came from, soaring over a stormy sea and having to land on top of a navy ship when the weather worsens; Meanwhile, the Canada and Snow geese fly through redwoods as winter beings to close in, running the gauntlet of hunters who kill some of the flock. A flock of [[Red-breasted goose|Red-breasted geese]] fly across a refinery, and one member gets stuck on some oil. The flock of Greylag geese close in on their winter grounds, but the flock is ambushed by hunters, with the goose with the tangled net remains surviving the ordeal.

The Common cranes fly south and across the same farm where they got spooked earlier, but this time, they accept the food given by the old lady. The White storks finish their migration on an oasis on the Sahara desert in Africa. Other birds alongside the coastline, like [[Wader|wading birds]], arrive to feed. [[Great white pelican]]s fly inland to a large wetland to feed in vast numbers alongside other birds like [[Black heron]], [[White-faced whistling duck]]s and [[African darter]]s.

The movie then moves to the [[Amazon rainforest]], where [[Macaw]]s survive the daily downpurs of the jungle. A boat is then showed with animals such as [[Red-and-green macaw]], [[Equatorial saki]], and [[Toucan]]s being kept in wooden vages; one lucky [[Hyacinth macaw]], however, manages to escape and fly back into the wild. On the [[Andes|Andean mountains]], [[Andean condor]] use the rocky walls to catch thermals to soar over the land in search of food.

The final stretch follows the [[Southern Ocean|Antarctic ocean]], where on the [[Falkland Islands]], [[Rockhopper penguin]]s and [[Black-browed albatross]] come to breed every year. On other antarctic islands, [[King penguin]]s assemble in large flocks to breed, reducing, not eradicating, the threat of predators, as a group of [[Giant petrel]]s catch and kill one hatchling. On another corner of the island, [[Snowy albatross|Wandering albatross]] display their enormous wings to other females as their mating ritual.

The birds soon fly into the sea to feed, with a flock of King penguins heading to the sea. The Arctic terns fly back north, as the good times on the north return, while back on Europe, spring arrives to the opening riverside once again. The Eurasian robin and the kid from the beginning of the movie witness the flock of Greylag geese, along with the one with the tangled net remains, stop momentarily before continuing their flight north once again.

==Production==
The movie was shot over the course of three years on all seven [[continent]]s. Filming began in July 1998 and ended in spring 2001. Most of the footage is aerial, shot using in-flight cameras from [[ultralight aviation|ultralights]], [[paraglider]]s, and [[hot air balloon]]s, with additional footage captured from [[truck]]s, [[motorcycle]]s, [[motorboat]]s, remote-controlled [[robot]]s, and a [[French Navy]] warship.

The viewer appears to be flying alongside birds of successive species, with many shots of [[Canada geese]]. They traverse every kind of weather and [[landscape]], covering vast distances in a flight for survival. The filmmakers exposed over 590 miles of film to create an 89-minute piece. In one case, two months of filming in one location was edited down to less than one minute in the final film.

Much of the aerial footage was taken of "tame" birds. The filmmakers raised birds of several species, including [[stork]]s and [[pelican]]s, from birth. The newborn birds [[imprinting (psychology)|imprinted]] on staff members, and were trained to fly along with the film crews. The birds were also exposed to the film equipment over the course of their lives to ensure that the birds would not be unsettled by it. Several of these species had never been imprinted before.

Its producer says that ''Winged Migration'' is neither a documentary nor [[fiction]], but rather a "natural tale".<ref name="makingof">"Making of" special feature on the DVD</ref>

The film states that no [[special effect]]s were used in the filming of the birds, although some entirely [[Computer-generated imagery|CGI]] segments that view Earth from outer space and include animated birds augment the real-life footage.<!-- If the bird images are real but just superimposed over the CGI, then someone needs to establish that with a legitimate citation.-->

The film's soundtrack by [[Bruno Coulais]] was recorded by Bulgarian vocal group [[Bulgarka Junior Quartet]] in Bulgarian, as well as [[Nick Cave]] in English and [[Robert Wyatt]]. The vocal effects include sequences in which panting is superimposed on wingbeats to give the effect that the viewer is right alongside a bird.

'''Release date'''
The film was released in France on 2001/12/12, Japan 2003/04/05...(Tokyo), the USA 2003/04/5...(Philadelphia International Film Festival), and the UK on 2003/09/05

==Reception==
''Winged Migration'' had an overall approval rating of 95% on [[Rotten Tomatoes]] as of October 2021, based on 132 reviews, and an average rating of 8.2/10. The website's critical consensus states, "A marvel to watch".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/winged_migration/ |title=Rotten Tomatoes |website=[[Rotten Tomatoes]] |access-date=25 October 2021}}</ref> It also has a score of 82 out of 100 on [[Metacritic]], based on 34 critics, indicating "universal acclaim".<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.metacritic.com/movie/winged-migration|title=Winged Migration|via=www.metacritic.com}}</ref>
By gross ticket sales, the film still holds seventh place in nature documentaries<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.boxofficemojo.com/genres/chart/?id=naturedoc.htm|title=BoxOfficeMojo.org |access-date=2014-05-14}}</ref> and eighteenth in documentary overall.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.boxofficemojo.com/genres/chart/?id=documentary.htm |title=BoxOfficeMojo.org |access-date=2014-05-14}}</ref>

==Awards and honors==
The film was nominated for an [[Academy Award]] for [[Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature|Best Documentary Feature]].<ref name="NY Times">{{cite web |url=http://movies.nytimes.com/movie/259504/Winged-Migration/details |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090905055952/http://movies.nytimes.com/movie/259504/Winged-Migration/details |url-status=dead |archive-date=2009-09-05 |department=Movies & TV Dept. |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=2009 |title=NY Times: Le Peuple Migrateur |access-date=2008-11-23}}</ref> It won [[César Award for Best Editing|"Best Editing"]] at the [[27th César Awards]], where it was also nominated for [[César Award for Best Music Written for a Film|"Best Music"]] and [[César Award for Best Debut|"Best Debut"]].

•	Oscar 2003
Best Documentary Feature (nominated) – Jacques Perrin

•	European Film Award 2002
Best Documentary Feature (nominated) – Jacques Perrin

•	CFCA Award 2004
Best Cinematography (nominated) – Laurent Charbonnier
Best Cinematography (nominated) – Luc Drion
Best Cinematography (nominated) – Laurent Fleutot
Best Cinematography (nominated) – Sylvie Carcedo
Best Cinematography (nominated) – Philippe Garguil
Best Cinematography (nominated) – Olli Barbé
Best Cinematography (nominated) – Dominique Gentil
Best Cinematography (nominated) – Thierry Machado
Best Cinematography (nominated) – Stéphane Martin
Best Cinematography (nominated) – Fabrice Moindrot
Best Cinematography (nominated) – Ernst Sasse
Best Cinematography (nominated) – Thierry Thomas
Best Cinematography (nominated) – Michel Terrasse
Best Documentary (nominated)

• Chicago Film Critics Circle Awards 2004
Best Cinematography (nominated) – Bernard Luti
Best Cinematography (nominated) – Michel Benjamin

•	César 2002
Best Editing (Meilleur montage) Marie-Josèphe Yoyotte
Best First Work (Meilleure première oeuvre) (nominated) – Michel Debats
Best First Work (Meilleure première oeuvre) (nominated) – Jacques Cluzaud

•	The European Film Award 2002
Best Documentary Award (Nominated) – Jacques Cluzaud
Best Documentary Award (Nominated) – Michel Debats

==Images==
<gallery class="center" widths="275px" heights="200px">
Image:Winged Migration CGI.jpg|One of the only two CGI shots in ''Winged Migration'', in which an [[Arctic tern]] flies above southern [[Africa]]
</gallery>

==See also==
* [[Human-guided migration]]
* [[Bill Lishman]] – imprinted geese for aerial filming 
* [[List of films with longest production time]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

== External links ==
* {{Official website|http://www.sonyclassics.com/wingedmigration/}}
* {{in lang|fr}} [https://web.archive.org/web/20041204093806/http://www.bacfilms.com/site/peuple/home.htm Official site]
* {{IMDb title|id=0301727|title=Winged Migration}}
* {{TCMDb title|444613|Winged Migration}}
*''[http://ffilms.org/category/documentary/page/12/ Winged Migration]'' on FFilms.org
* {{Mojo title|wingedmigration}}

{{Jacques Perrin}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:2001 films]]
[[Category:2001 documentary films]]
[[Category:French documentary films]]
[[Category:German documentary films]]
[[Category:Italian documentary films]]
[[Category:Swiss documentary films]]
[[Category:2000s French-language films]]
[[Category:French-language Swiss films]]
[[Category:French independent films]]
[[Category:Documentary films about birds]]
[[Category:Bird migration]]
[[Category:Documentary films about nature]]
[[Category:Films shot in Greenland]]
[[Category:Films shot in Paris]]
[[Category:Films shot in Senegal]]
[[Category:Films shot in Mauritania]]
[[Category:Films shot in Switzerland]]
[[Category:Documentary films about Antarctica]]
[[Category:Films shot in Vietnam]]
[[Category:Films shot in the Philippines]]
[[Category:Films scored by Bruno Coulais]]
[[Category:Sony Pictures Classics films]]
[[Category:2000s French films]]
[[Category:2000s German films]]
[[Category:Films directed by Jacques Perrin]]
[[Category:Films produced by Jacques Perrin]]
[[Category:Films about geese]]
[[Category:2001 in French cinema]]
[[Category:BAC Films films]]