info
/
1
2
3
4
5
·
·
·
·
·
×
To See the Sky
To See the Sky tells the story of ornithologist Lorenzo Sympson and his life-long relationship with the Andean condor. Sympson’s life history is complex and seldom spoken of, from growing up on thoroughbred ranches in some of the wealthiest regions of Argentina, to being exiled from his home country for over a decade by a political dictatorship; but despite these complexities, one constant has been his love for nature. Sympson began studying the Andean condor almost by accident, but found a deep curiosity in the way that they fly which would ultimately shape the rest of his life. What is considered to be the largest flying bird on Earth, the Andean condor rarely flaps its wings, meaning it relies on its knowledge of rising and falling air to navigate the vast landscape in which it resides. Sympson’s life work has attempted to understand this knowledge and how exactly it is acquired, while gathering decades of baseline information on the relatively unexplored species along the way. A heartfelt, character-driven story with its roots in conservation, To See the Sky promises a cinematic adventure through one of the world’s most cherished places.
Director: Kyle Dudgeon Co-director: Veronica Nelson Production: Kyle Dudgeon Creative Cover art: Mmethod Design Co. Music License: Artlist
Made possible by Gerry and Miram Scully, Mike Nelson, and the many wonderful people of Argentina who helped along the way.
Director Statement I met Lorenzo Sympson in Montana two years ago. He was visiting his daughter, Veronica, my dear friend and co-director. While family is everything to Lorenzo, birds are a close second. During his time in the U.S., he was on a mission to spend equally as much time with birds as he would with his family. I had heard a bit about Lorenzo through Veronica, and was particularly interested in his involvement with the conservation of the Andean condor as well as other species throughout Patagonia. Intrigued by his story, I decided to extend an invitation: I thought that if I showed him a secluded part of my world, he might similarly return the offer. So, I asked him, "if I show you a great gray owl, can I make a film about you?" He accepted.
I am deeply inspired by individuals who find themselves so intertwined with nature that it becomes part of their identity. This is beyond evident in a person like Lorenzo, who, in his early seventies, gets giddy at any opportunity to head to the mountains and watch condors. Those same emotions surfaced as he raised his binoculars to view his very first great gray owl, a bird he had long hoped to lay eyes on. We had ourselves a deal.
During the six weeks I spent in Patagonia this winter living alongside Lorenzo, his wife Graciela, and their trusty Rhodesian ridgeback, Lola, we became close – we drank mate, looked for condors, talked about the complexities of both the human and natural world, and opened up to one another in ways that would ultimately pivot the direction of this film. Very soon into the journey I realized this film was a story about a person, more than anything, and the bird that had been there for him all along – gliding through the air, silently, on long wings.
If nothing else, To See the Sky is a collection of the memories made during an exploration through the vastness of Patagonia, the places we traveled to and the beings, both human and animals, we encountered along the way. I hope that as much as it is a tribute to the life of a great naturalist and caretaker of the wild, it is also a poetic call to protect one of the world’s most admired bird species. For without the condor, we lose a reason to look up.