In The
Conference of the Birds,
filmmaker, author and illustrator Peter Sis revisits a classic Persian epic
poem originally penned by Farid Ud-Din Attar in the 12th century. The tale, while
centuries old, still resonates with today's reader. Every species of bird
gathers together to look for their one true king, Simorgh, on the mountain of
Kaf. Led by the hoopoe, they take flight and travel through seven valleys:
quest, love, understanding, detachment, unity, amazement and death. In the
course of the journey, the birds experience loss, pain and hardships, but in
their unity they reach the mountain, only to find that the king they are
searching for is made up by each and every one of them. Sis's watercolor and
pencil drawings create a bird's-eye perspective of each landscape as the flock
wings through the corners of the world, looking for the meaning of it all—which
in this case is a lesson in perseverance and working together. A must-give for
any friend in the middle of a challenging task.
