FLIGHT PATH (in production)

in production for 2027 release

directed by John Helde
director of photography Andrew Burton
sound recordist Dave Richards

produced in association with Northwest Film Forum

FLIGHT PATH is a feature-length documentary that follows the scientists and activists working to save the Marbled Murrelet and the Northern Spotted Owl, two of the most endangered species of the Pacific Northwest.

The Murrelet is a mystery bird that lives at sea but nests in old-growth forests. The Spotted Owl also depends on large tracts of old-growth to hunt and reproduce. Both species are central to the particular intersection of ocean and forest in the Northwest, and in the 1990s they were lightning rods in conflicts between conservationists and the timber industry. Although their photos have long since faded from the front pages, they continue to perch on the edge of extinction.

FLIGHT PATH pulls back the curtain on the work of people who do the science and activism advocating for these species. Largely out of the public eye, these experts work day after day, season after season, to monitor and rebuild populations, fight for habitat protection, and educate the public. Through the lens of these birds and the people who struggle to save them, FLIGHT PATH explores the consequences of species decline and extinction in the twenty-first century.

We began production in 2025, spending time in the field with our central characters and gathering hours of footage. We’re currently fundraising and making plans to continue filming in summer-fall of 2026 and editing into 2027. Upon completion of the documentary, we’ll collaborate with birding and conservation groups nationally on special screenings, organize film festival showings, and distribute to broader audiences on streaming platforms.