Good 80-minute movie!! In many ways reminds me of "Pale Male", the similar documentary of birds settling in residence in Manhattan, including the mating and fledging habits. Here we have Mark Bittner, a virtually jobless and homeless musician who never quite made it in San Francisco, and now is essentially a squatter with permission from the property owners. There has been a colony of wild parrots in San Francisco for some time, and Bittner began feeding and attending to them near Telegraph Hill, a prominent feature of the area. When a bird became ill, he took it in and nursed it back to health until it could survive on its own again. He had names for most of them.
Bittner is a kind and scruffy looking fellow, with a very long ponytail hanging down. When asked about his long hair, he said he made a promise to himself that he wouldn't cut it until he found a girlfriend. That answered a key question! There are many theories where the wild parrots came from. The movie included 4 or 5 locals telling their versions, all of which are different. But no one really knows. However, they thrive and their numbers continue to increase. Eventually Bittner had to leave his apartment because the owners were making major repairs, so he went to stay with some friends in a different part of the area, forcing him to say a teary eyed goodbye.
SPOILERS, in case anyone really is sensitive. Bittner did cut his hair, we see it, because he found a girlfriend, in the person of Judy Irving, the director of this film. Undoubtedly a perfect match.
Bittner is a kind and scruffy looking fellow, with a very long ponytail hanging down. When asked about his long hair, he said he made a promise to himself that he wouldn't cut it until he found a girlfriend. That answered a key question! There are many theories where the wild parrots came from. The movie included 4 or 5 locals telling their versions, all of which are different. But no one really knows. However, they thrive and their numbers continue to increase. Eventually Bittner had to leave his apartment because the owners were making major repairs, so he went to stay with some friends in a different part of the area, forcing him to say a teary eyed goodbye.
SPOILERS, in case anyone really is sensitive. Bittner did cut his hair, we see it, because he found a girlfriend, in the person of Judy Irving, the director of this film. Undoubtedly a perfect match.