Film Screening: Monty and Rose

Monty and Rose tells the story of a pair of endangered piping plovers that successfully nested at Chicago’s Montrose Beach in the summer of 2019, the first of the species to nest in Chicago in 64 years. The short, independent documentary chronicles these special birds and an unpredictable series of events including a proposed music festival that propelled the birds to national headlines. Monty and Rose features interviews with an array of key players in the story, including biologists, birders, volunteers and the advocates who spoke out when the music festival was proposed.

The screening in Wilmette will mark the debut of Postcard from Waukegan, a short film about Monty and Rose’s time in Waukegan in 2018, where they attempted to nest. A panel discussion following the film will feature: Filmmaker Bob Dolgan, who started the documentary project as a volunteer plover monitor, Illinois Ornithological Society’s Tamima Itani, who led the volunteer monitoring effort, and Judy Pollock, President of Chicago Audubon Society.

Monty and Rose is an independent project, funded through the generous support of backers on Kickstarter. Partners in the project include Turnstone Strategies, Mitchell Wenkus, Pat Nabong and Eileen Wagner. Music is by local indie favorites Congress of Starlings.

Tickets may be purchased here:  https://www.eventbrite.com/e/86884520941