Foul play and fowl at play are the order of the day in the brand-new poultry farming documentary PECKING ORDER.
The sign of a good documentary is one that is cinematic and informative, with the right blend of humour and real-life seamlessly working together – and PECKING ORDER has already proved to be a smash-hit in New Zealand.
The scene is set from the start, as 148 years of history are about to face it’s greatest challenge as the Christchurch Poultry, Bantam and Chicken Club, with veterans and newcomers all wallowing in various levels of passion and persuasion in the build-up to the National Show.
It’s a combination of wonderful, eccentric characters, notably Doug the stubborn Club President trying to stave off a rebellion by members trying to keep the Club at the forefront of the business, Sarah the Chicken Whisperer, Ian the Exacting Judge who even has a manual on the rules and regulations and a variety of other individuals for whom feathers need to be ruffled to achieve their aim of claiming those all-important awards in the competition.
Coming from the land of Mordor and the Shire, this is about as contrasting and entertaining a film you will get from the North and South Island creative community. Whilst you may not root for the characters and you probably are wondering whether you will ever understand the true essence of why your Sunday Roast should get the respect it deserves for having the right plumage, PECKING ORDER certainly offers a glimpse into a world we ignore or probably take for granted.
The target audience may well be the farming communities of the world, as this is relative to their daily business and existence, but there is certainly a lot here to keep audiences amused from the first frame to the last.
I certainly found the whole she-bang as emotional as any Parliament debate, with the same amount of bitchiness and office politics you might find in London’s Square Mile and there are some absolutely hilarious moments of confrontation, particularly during the Club Meetings.
One of the best films and documentaries of 2017.
