Birds of Los Baños
A young Black-crowned Night Heron tells about her life in the ficus trees by a defunct wading pool. We learn that the large nesting area for Night Herons and Snowy Egrets is threatened by plans to build a Splash Playground. An endearing look at remarkable herons.
Interview with Director Gail Osherenko
Congratulations! Why did you make your film?
A young Black-crowned Night Heron tells about her life in the ficus trees by a defunct wading pool. We learn that the large nesting area for Night Herons and Snowy Egrets is threatened by plans to build a Splash Playground. An endearing look at remarkable herons.
Imagine I’m a member of the audience. Why should I watch this film?
Watch to see the behavior of Black-crowned Night Herons and Snowy Egrets in a large colony nesting together. Learn about the behavior of the young, how they learn to fly, how they learn to be herons. Note the changes in plumage and color during breeding and nesting. Black-crowned Night Herons are quite secretive birds, so here you'll get an unusual peek into their lives. Then there's the story of how local policy decisions need to be informed by knowledge of the avifauna.
How do personal and universal themes work in your film?
The film explores the relationship between humans and wildlife, a theme that shaped my previous academic work much of which focused on the relationship of humans with reindeer/caribou, polar bears, and other wild species.
How have the script and film evolved over the course of their development?
As with any good documentary, the story evolves. I didn't know when I started to film that there were threats to the birds. As I researched, interviewed, filmed and just watched, I slowly saw the complexity of decisions concerning this public park. I also learned how little scientific literature exists on the life of young Black-crowned Night Herons. I had to depend on the wisdom of a wildlife care volunteer and the footage itself. Many times, we don't really see or understand the behavior of wildlife until we've viewed the footage over and over. I learned that filming loons and relearned it making Birds of Los Baños.
What type of feedback have you received so far?
The film premiered at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival to an audience of perhaps 500 alongside other shorts with extremely positive feedback. It went on to San Luis Obispo Film Festival virtually. My swim buddies who see and smell the birds regularly loved it. Lots of folks wondered how we got such close up footage. Some have asked how can we help to protect these birds and their nesting habitat?
Has the feedback surprised or challenged your point of view?
The best feedback has been from those who asked, "how can I help to protect this nesting colony?" I've been pleased that so many have seen the film and shared it.
What are you looking to achieve by having your film more visible on www.wearemovingstories.com?
I'm an avid birder. When people start bird watching, they usually start with the larger species like herons and egrets. Hopefully, this will entice more people (young and old) to be curious about their bird neighbors. The stars of this film are in our urban neighborhoods. Hopefully, some people will get actively involved to protect the birds and wildlife around them.
Who do you need to come on board (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists) to amplify this film’s message?
I need journalists to report and follow the story so that our local City Council rethinks the current plans with more attention to health and sanitation in this time of coronavirus. I'd welcome distributors and viewers to help get the film into schools to enhance education and thought about the relationship between humans and birds (as well as other wildlife).
What type of impact and/or reception would you like this film to have?
I'd like the film to spark ideas for designing our urban open spaces for enjoyment and sustainability of humans and wildlife, for enhancing the physical and mental health of all beings.
What’s a key question that will help spark a debate or begin a conversation about this film?
If you were planning a park next to this nesting colony, what would you like to see in that park? How might you design the area that used to be a wading pool? How might landscaping and play equipment be placed and selected to enhance the parks use for locals and wildlife? What materials and plants might you use?
Would you like to add anything else?
I couldn't have made this film without the creative talent of my editor, advisor, fellow filmmaker, drone operator, and voice of the adult night heron - Jim Knowlton of Blue Ocean Productions. I'm deeply grateful to Juliet (age 12 at the time) for giving voice to the heron youngster. Michael Hanrahan has been an immense help both in getting me started in filmmaking and in shooting when I was away in Vermont. And finally, none of this would have come together without the knowledge and perseverance of Jim Hurnblad who has watched over these birds and rescued so much wildlife in our coastal area over the last five years. There is footage of heron and egret rescues on the website BirdsofLosBanos.com .
What other projects are the key creatives developing or working on now?
On the west coast, I'm working on a project about chaparral and welcome collaborators.
In the north woods of Vermont, I'm beginning a documentary about a wonderful character in his 80s who has designed and is building a chapel with his own hands and heart - a very challenging physical and mental labor of love.
Interview: April 2020
We Are Moving Stories embraces new voices in drama, documentary, animation, TV, web series, music video, women's films, LGBTQIA+, POC, First Nations, scifi, supernatural, horror, world cinema. If you have just made a film - we'd love to hear from you. Or if you know a filmmaker - can you recommend us? More info: Carmela
Birds of Los Baños
A young Black-crowned Night Heron tells about her life in the ficus trees by a defunct wading pool. We learn that the large nesting area for Night Herons and Snowy Egrets is threatened by plans to build a Splash Playground. An endearing look at remarkable herons.
Length: 15:09
Director: Gail Osherenko
Producer: Gail Osherenko
Writer: Gail Osherenko
About the writer, director and producer:
GAIL OSHERENKO makes documentaries featuring birds, nature and environmental issues. She has a law degree from the University of California, Davis and taught at The Center for Northern Studies in Vermont, Dartmouth College and the University of California, Santa Barbara before discovering that making films was more fun and could reach a larger audience. She hopes to spread an understanding of environmental issues that helps to bring about behavioral and policy change. She produced English language versions of films by famed Russian ethnographer/anthropologist Andre V. Golovnev in the 1990s. They are available through www.filmsfromthenorth.com. She made her first film in 2006 - Arctic Expedition, and followed with Dark Side of the Loon (2008), Loon Chick's First Summer (2012), BROKE: The Santa Barbara Oil pipeline Spill of 2015 (2018) and Birds of Los Baños (2020). She swims regularly at Los Baños del Mar (the Santa Barbara City pool). Noticing the many birds nesting in the trees nearby, she decided to film them. Little did she know that this was more than a wildlife story. Please join us in saving this unique nesting colony of Black-crowned Night Herons and Snowy Egrets.
Key cast: Jim Hurnblad (Volunteer with Santa Barbara Wildlife Care Network), Juliet Sophia Falk (voice of the young Night Heron), Jim Knowlton (voice of the adult Night Heron), Gail Osherenko (narrator)
Looking for: journalists, distributors
Hashtags used: #birds #birding #heron #wildlife
Website: birdsoflosbanos.com
Funders: Self-funded
Where can I watch it next and in the coming month? April 27 - May 26/ streaming with password courtesy of Wildling Museum.; May - summer / Santa Barbara Maritime Museum (when it reopens)