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From Billions to None: The Passenger Pigeon's Flight to Extinction reveals the compelling story of the unlikely extinction of the passenger pigeon. For centuries, the sleek long-distance flyer was the most abundant bird in North America and perhaps the world. Then, in a matter of decades, it was hunted to extinction. On September 1, 1914, Martha, the last passenger pigeon in captivity, died in the Cincinnati Zoo, marking the end of the species.
From Billions to None is a new award-winning documentary based on Joel Greenberg’s book A Feathered River Across the Sky, and features the author. The one-hour film recreates massive flocks with CGI animation, and tells the incredible, forgotten story of the extinction of the passenger pigeon 100 years ago, and highlights pressing conservation issues today.
In addition to the film, the DVD contains the following Special Features – Behind the Scenes: A Bird’s Eye View, The Sound of Billions; Making Pigeon Pie. Deleted Scene: Warren Woods. Extras: A Special Specimen, From Chikagou to Chicago, Prairie Tours with Joel.
Please note: the DVD is in NTSC format, but will play in all countries as long as your DVD player is NTSC compatible. Many players can now play both NTSC and PAL, please check your player before ordering.
Watch a trailer below:
"A teachable moment [...] teachable art."
- Chicago Sun-Times
"The visual highlight, in a film that is full of gorgeous cinematography, is a nearly one-minute-long CGI recreation of an immense pigeon flock passing overhead. The stunning sequence is paired with a narrator's reading of John James Audubon's description of a flock he witnessed in Kentucky in 1813, a river of birds that took three days to pass. After 30 seconds, I felt claustrophobic; I can't imagine a flight of three hours, much less three days."
– Matt Mendenhall, Managing Editor, www.birdwatchingdaily.com
"The film [...] is filled with information and passion [...] we get chilling history, as in people hunting the birds using live decoys called "stool pigeons," giving birth to the term now associated with police informants [...] It powerfully makes its point, addressing some of today's conservation issues, such as the alarming depletion of shark species worldwide and the threats humans pose to other animals."
– The Chicago Tribune
