Winged Migration (or Le Peuple migrateur, as it was originally titled) is a wonderful film from France about the migration of birds.

Lasting 98 minutes, it is one of the shorter films that we've seen this year, and certainly the most documentary of them. The photography is absolutely breathtaking (to the extent that I'm hoping for a DVD with additional footage and a "making of"). The music is additive in most part, brilliant in some, but a bit distracting in others.

If you like birds, pretty scenery, and/or a good documentary, this one is a pleasurable 1:38 to sit through. If you aren't the documentary type, go see something else, because there is no witty dialog and slapstick action (although there are definitely some humorous maneuvers by the birds).

The film covers an entire year of migration south and then north of birds (mostly from the northern hemisphere, but also with a few from from the southern).

There is some violence in the film, and if you take kids (G rating), be prepared to explain and comfort about real-life situations involving predators and environmental hazards.