Flamingos Documentary Chronicles Caribbean Species’ Survival
Why this is here: The documentary required Hagerman to relearn his photographic profession with new techniques and equipment to respectfully film the flamingos’ wildlife without interference.
A new documentary, Flamingos: Life After the Meteorite, follows the Caribbean flamingo and its struggle to reproduce. Director and cinematographer Lorenzo Hagerman began the project after a request from Cornell University’s ornithology department. The film took 700 days to shoot, capturing the flamingos navigating adverse conditions like drought and predators.
Poet Ajo’s writing appears in the film, narrated by Julieta Venegas. Bryce Dessner, guitarist for The National, composed original music for the documentary. Hagerman described becoming deeply connected to the flamingos through extended observation.
The filmmaker, known for documentaries like Viaje al centro de la selva and Heli, faced challenges filming wildlife. He adapted his photographic techniques to avoid interfering with the flamingos’ natural behavior. The project developed during the pandemic, with remote collaboration due to travel restrictions.