Nicole Lucas Haimes Chicken People

Nicole Lucas Haimes Chicken People

Director: Nicole Lucas Haimes
Genre: Documentary, Comedy, Family
Running Time: 83 minutes

Synopsis: Chicken People is a sticky beak into a world where a bent feather can mean a broken American dream. This chirpy feature documentary follows breeders Brian C, Shari and Brian K as their chickens compete for the ultimate title of Grand Champion at the Ohio National Poultry Show. Over the course of a year, they face highs and lows from inconsistent feather markings, to an outbreak of the Avian flu that may lead to a shutdown of the chicken championships. Drawn from all walks of life, the Chicken People let you into their fascinating world as they share their passion for poultry, and how competing provides a place for their dreams to roost. Chicken Peopleis a heart-warming look at the ultimate best-in-show of chicken perfection.

Chicken People
Release Date: July 9th, 2017

Director Statement

I began Chicken People five years ago while my 11 year-old son Lucas attended elementary school. For a short period of time, the boys in his class went crazy for chickens – which I found odd given the urban nature of Los Angeles.

Mystified by Lucas and his friends chanting, 'chicken chicken chicken" followed by uproarious laughter, I nonetheless gifted him a book of chicken portraits. As we thumbed through the book, we noted the exquisite feather patterns and how the chickens resembled a stack of fluffy snowballs or wildly ornamental hats, I spotted a brief mention that people compete these birds.

Like the Westminster dog show, but for chickens. That was it! I knew I had to make a film. There is indeed something inherently funny about chickens, and people breeding and showing chickens seemed even funnier. Shortly thereafter I filmed a chicken competition, created a presentation reel, and began the arduous process of trying to finance a light-hearted documentary in an era of social issue filmmaking. I continued to follow the different chicken shows and I wound up falling in love with the world of competitive poultry. Over time, my preconceived notions about the competitors changed.

Yes, people who diaper their chickens and keep them in the house are humorous, but I discovered generous and genuine people who are absolutely passionate about their show birds. This human-chicken relationship, this human-chicken love, propel many of the folks I met to become the best version of themselves. And it was this emergent and unexpected narrative of triumph that became the story I knew I had to tell.

After optioning the idea to several production companies, and going through three rounds of casting, I eventually found a home for Chicken People at CMT Docs. John Miller-Monzon and Lewis Bogach immediately grasped what I wanted to achieve – both the humor and the heart-- and they connected me with Julie Goldman and Chris Clements of Motto Pictures who along with Caroline Kaplan and Terry Leonard became great producing partners.

One of my favorite aspects of this world is just how interesting and smart chickens really are. One hen, Peggy, is a really good sneak. Peggy, whose name is derived from the lost part of her leg and hence had a peg leg, managed to move her eggs and hide them one by one behind a tractor in her owners' barn, until one day, she surprised everyone by proudly emerging with a brood of 12 chicks. I have witnessed chickens navigating obstacle courses, learning to count and recognizing shapes.

On another occasion, I watched a white rock hen lay an egg. As she began to work it from her body, which I learned is a relatively long process, the rooster stood over her protectively the entire time, making bold rooster cackles, until finally, out popped a blue egg. The mother hen seemed relieved and proud, and the rooster then felt free to go about his business. In a very basic way, it shows the connection all animals have with each other.

Challenges in Making this Documentary

 
A: I wanted the film to be funny but never to poke fun, while in a heartfelt way follow the emotional journey of our cast.

Four months into the shoot, the Avian Flu epidemic forced the closure of our climatic chicken show which is hailed as the Westminister of all chicken shows. Disaster! The planned ending to the film was lost. Our team reached out to our vast network of competitors and ultimately found another venue available, though the show was a month later than our original competition, which meant losing a month of edit time. However, the film's two talented editors, Sara Booth and Kevin Klauber, met the challenge of establishing the right tone of the film with both the humor and emotional impact I aimed for under these new time constraints.

Many all-nighters were needed to get the film done in time for the premiere.

What is your hope in terms of what the audience learns from the film I hope audiences come to understand that a person's commitment to her passion – no matter how kooky it may seem - has the power to transform lives in surprising and inspiring ways.

I hope audiences come to understand that a person's commitment to her passion – no matter how kooky it may seem - has the power to transform lives in surprising and inspiring ways. How about: I hope audiences come to understand that commitment to one's passion, no matter how offbeat, has the power to transform lives in surprising and inspiring ways.

Chicken People
Release Date: July 9th, 2017