BirdsofparadiseareoneofDavidAttenborough’slifelongpassions.Hewasthefirsttofilmmanyoftheirbeautifulandoftenbizarredisplays,andoverhislifetimehehastrackedthemalloverthejunglesofNewGuinea.Inthisverypersonalfilm,heuncoverstheremarkablestoryofhowthese’birdsfromparadise’havecaptivatedexplorers,naturalists,artists,film-makersandevenroyalty.Heexploresthemythssurroundingtheirdiscovery500yearsago,thelatestextraordinarybehaviourcapturedoncameraandrevealsthescientifictruthbehindtheirbeauty:theevolutionoftheirspectacularappearancehasinfactbeendrivenbysex.Andinafinalcontemporarytwisttothisstoryofobsessionandroyalty,hetravelstothedesertofQatar,toastate-of-the-artfacilitywhichhousesthelargestbreedinggroupofthesebirdsintheworld-asheikh’sveryownprivatecollection.Therehehashisclosesteverencounterwithagreaterbirdofparadiseanditsdramaticdisplay,relivingtheexperiencethatcaptivatedhimintheforestsofNewGuineamorethan50yearsago.’Formebirdsofparadisearethemostromanticandglamorousbirdsintheworld.AndthisisafilmIhavewantedtomakefor40years.’-SirDavidAttenborough.
