Pecking Order

Scratching around for something different to watch? Look no further than this warm-hearted Kiwi documentary about the chicken obsessives, both young and old, of the Christchurch Poultry, Bantam and Pigeon Club as they prep their prize birds for New Zealand's top show. But the feathers that fly don't all belong to the birds. There's politics behind the poultry. And the cameras are also privy to a bitter power struggle for the veteran club's prestigious presidency, though there may be a touch too much time spent on this roost-ruling. s a consequence, the birds themselves get somewhat sidelined, so the final show's judging is a touch on the anti-climactic side. But as proof that there's nowt as queer as folk, and that there's nothing better than watching them, this is quirkily compulsive viewing.