DOC NYC: Films About the Environment

This year, DOC NYC’s lineup includes a number of films about the environment.

THE LOST BIRD PROJECT This film is a documentary about the stories of five birds driven to extinction in modern times and sculptor Todd McGrain’s project to memorialize them. The film follows the road-trip that McGrain and his brother-in-law, Andy, take as they search for the locations where the species were last seen in the wild and negotiate for permission to install McGrain’s large bronze sculptures there. The film is an elegy to the five birds and a thoughtful and sometimes humorous look at the artist and his mission.

Expected to Attend: Deborah, Dickson, Todd McGrain

MUSICWOOD WORLD PREMIERE. MUSICWOOD is a documentary that needs to be seen by anyone who cares about guitar music. For hundreds of years guitars have been made the same way, but now, that could all change. A band of famous guitar-makers (Bob Taylor, Chris Martin and Dave Berryman of Gibson) travel together into a primeval rain forest. Their mission: negotiate with Native American loggers before it’s too late for acoustic guitars. The result is the funny, complex and heartbreaking story of a profound cultural conflict and a battle over natural resources. Artists featured in the film: Kaki King, Steve Earle, Yo La Tengo, The Antlers, Lampchop, Turin Brakes and Sergius Gregory.

Expected to Attend: Maxine Trump, Bob Taylor, Special Guests

BETTING THE FARM Nine Maine dairy farmers are in danger of losing their farms when their national milk distributor fires them. Banding together, they launch their own milk company, MOO. By any normal measure of a startup, MOO Milk has been a success. But stakes are high as they struggle to navigate the treacherous waters of launching a new business, with bills piling up and tensions running amok. Betting the Farm is a quintessentially American story about intrepid small business owners struggling to survive in a world dominated by corporate profiteers.

Expected to Attend: Cecily Pingree