Filmmaker Statement

I have generations of Kentucky farmer blood in me, though my family migrated West to California when I was six. So in 2019, when I moved onto a 95-acre farm in the Oakland hills with some friends, to my surprise, it instantly reignited this deep down desire to care well for the animals and land. The whole thing felt natural! We inherited several animals with the farm, but I immediately took to the chickens. Following them around, it struck me how complex the creatures revealed themselves to be if one just took some time to pay close attention. Their behavioral patterns, interpersonal dynamics, and the life in their eyes were all present when I stopped long enough to look. I love Werner Herzog but on this one we disagree! I grabbed my DSLR and started following them around every day. Dear reader, I’ve spent an unholy amount of time pointing my camera at chickens -- the process was borderline ascetic. And I had no business having this much fun with it.