An entertaining and fascinating documentary, Chicken People delves into the lives of those who found the beauty in poultry to be a positive force of purpose and happiness.

St Francis of Assisi would have loved Chicken People. After all, he is the patron saint of animals and the natural environment, who preached that God’s creation as a whole is to be revered. That same spiritual approach towards creatures great and small can be found in the subjects within Chicken People, these men, women, and children, who give their life and love to creatures that, to many of us, serve only as dinner.

Yet as Chicken People proves, there is more to these feathered creatures than a sumptuous feast. As directed by Nicole Lucas Haines, Chicken People guides us through a world of beauty in poultry. This is seen in chicken competitions akin to the Westminster Dog Show, as thousands of birds outdo one another in the “perfection” stakes, proving that humanity’s obsession with beauty infinite is not restricted to its own species.

Of course, some will make comparisons to Best in Show, the Christopher Guest directed satire set in the world of animal competitions. To be sure there are eccentrics to be found amongst these “Chicken People”, which is expected when one spends their life alongside creatures that go “cluck!”

Of the main subjects, there is Brian Caraker, the musical theatre performer; Brian Knox, engineer of hot-rod cars; and Shari McCollough, a homemaker who delivers the films best scene when she replicates the mating rituals of her birds. Other chicken fanatics feature. Some cluck. Others fawn. There are a few that even admit to fitting their chickens with nappies so they can share a bed with them.

Strange? Sure. Yet there is also a stirring spirituality to be found in these strong bonds between man and animal. Obsession is definitely a word to describe it. But so too is love, companionship, and a spiritual connection. Lucas-Haines does a great job not only in presenting the unique spectacle, but delving into the stories behind these souls who have found a calling unlike any other.