Wild Fowl in Slow Motion

In the previous post about the teaser/trailer that Courtney Stephens created for Orphans 2020, I noted her source materials had their own interesting orphan stories. News about the schedule for the late May symposium — Orphans Online — will be posted here in a few days. Meanwhile, a consideration of the short fragments used in the teaser sets up the issues we will be examining in depth — and suggests how neglected films can provoke thinking about water, climate, and migration. The uncanny footage called  If the Antarctic Ice Cap Should Melt? — outtakes (Fox Movietone News, 1929) is our emblematic