In many nature documentaries, the main intent is to capture wild animals on camera while keeping the human element removed from the process. Every now and then, however, the focus falls on man’s link to nature and the sometimes miraculous bonds that can be forged in spite of all evidence to the contrary. Joe Hutto wanted to know what it was like to play mother to young turkeys, and so through the biological device of imprinting, he hatched 16 turkey eggs and nursed them to adulthood through the course of a year. The story is simple enough and the reenactment of Hutto’s endeavors to raise turkeys on a very personal level is touching, but it’s the HD footage of the various animals and insects that puts My Life as a Turkey over the top.
Imprinting is a well-studied natural phenomena and one that mammals just can’t quite match. Though the experiences of raising children and turkeys as a parent might seem analogous, it turns out that the latter entails a journey with challenges and accomplishments all its own. The story and the images therein both have more depth than you’d assume could come from what would otherwise pass as a single sentence anecdote in a Biology textbook. The concept is interesting, but actually seeing it unfold is somewhat magical.
Blu-ray Bonus Features
There are none, but then the documentary covers the topic pretty thoroughly, so it’s hard to say whether or not including deleted scenes or footage would have added too much to the experience.
"Nature: My Life as a Turkey" is on sale November 22, 2011 and is not rated. Documentary. Directed by Fred Kaufman. Starring Joe Hutto.
