In “Above Brooklyn,”screening September 12 at 9 p.m. on the rooftop of the Old American Can Factory, some of New York City’s few remaining rooftop pigeon breeders try to catch each other’s birds in a game of aerial competition.
The film steps into a world that exists on Brooklyn’s rooftops, where men obsessed with their birds have found a connection with nature that contrasts greatly with the bustling streets only a few flights below.
“It’s like a dying sport,” said pigeon breeder José Rivera, about the once-popular hobby of breeding pigeons on the rooftops of Brooklyn. Rivera was featured in the documentary but has lost his rooftop access since the shooting of the film.
Although the pigeon breeders are dwindling in number, there is still a small group who continues the tradition, some of them flying huge stocks of over 1,500 birds. Through interviews with many of the city’s longtime pigeon fanciers, “Above Brooklyn” explores the lives of these true Brooklyn characters, their relationships with each other, and the ever-changing neighborhoods in which they live and fly.
The half-hour version of this feature-length documentary will screen as a part of Rooftop Films Brooklyn Non-Fiction program, along with other short films about the borough. An after-party will follow from 11 p.m. to 2 a.m. with free drinks courtesy of Radeberger Pilsner and Bear Flag Wines.
Tickets are $9 at the door or online at http://newyork.going.com/event-625209;Rooftop_Films_Brooklyn_Non-Fiction.
For more, visit www.abovebrooklyn.net.
