Wild Wings

This is a very absorbing documentary about wild birds, and the efforts of Sir Peter Scott and the Slimbridge Bird Sanctuary to preserve them; it even won an Oscar. It's not immediately obvious why it is so enjoyable, as birds are quite dull, especially for 35 minutes. The film becomes great fun once you realise that it is not really about birds at all, but rather a fond portrait of a load of wonderful and sincere English human eccentrics, including Sir Peter, his wife, Mrs Pilcher and many others, and especially the chap who chases the ducks into the decoy. The rocket-powered net trap for the geese is perhaps the highlight. If you ever want to understand where Peter Cook got the inspiration for his character Sir Arthur Streeb-Greebling, this film is a pretty good place to start.

A very lovely film for anyone who loves England, and its brand of ever-so-slightly-mad.