Albatross Film Screening

Albatross. | Photo by Chris Jordan

A free screening of Chris Jordan’s documentary "Albatross," billed as "a powerfully moving love story about birds," will be held at Coos Bay's Egyptian Theatre (229 S. Broadway) at 5 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 16. The showing is hosted by Shoreline Education for Awareness and the Charleston Marine Life Center.

"Albatross" was filmed on Midway Island, where tens of thousands of albatross chicks are born each year. Returning to the island over several years, Jordan and his filming team witnessed cycles of birth, life, and death of these birds, and came to view them as "a multi-layered metaphor for our times."

Jordan began making the movie in 2008, as a collaboration with Manuel Maqueda. Studying the newly emerging issue of ocean plastic pollution, they learned of the environmental tragedy taking place on a tiny atoll in the center of the North Pacific Ocean. On the first trip to Midway in 2009, their team filmed thousands of dead albatross. Returning to Midway over the next four years, the filmmakers captured the birds' beauty and grace, and the devastation being wrought by plastic.

Jordan decided that his work was a labor of love and could not be treated as a commercial product. He presents it free of charge, as a gift to the world. The 97 minute film will be followed by a question and answer panel consisting of marine science professionals. To view the trailer visit www.albatrossthefilm.com.