No. 1 (2018) Pecking Order January 3rd.

Film No. 1 (2018) January 3rd.  8.00 PM  PIAF Film Festival, The Pines Joondalup.

"I just love winning. You're the centre of attention. It's awesome". (Young Rhys Lilley explains the reason he loves entering his chickens in championships).

This New Zealand documentary is captivating from the opening scene where we meet central character Doug Bain just after he washes one of his chickens prior to placing a blow dryer in front of it's cage. The problem is film maker Slovko Martinov (Propaganda) walked into a drama he wasn't planning on, and for me he couldn't seem to make up his mind which theme to focus on; the politics of The Christ Church Poultry Club or the competitive natures of the poultry lovers as they prepared to display their birds for the sheer prestige of being the best. Pecking Order is thoroughly entertaining and a good lesson in "fly on the wall" sociological observation. Could Doug become one of the best remembered villains of the 2017/18 film season? I think not but he's a crotchety old bugger. 7GUMS.