Bonus content: Bluebird Man

In our monthly bonus content newsletter, we take a deeper look at the stories behind the films on Wild Commons - the wheres, whats, whos and hows of production, and the topics featured in the films.

In this newsletter, we're going behind the scenes of Bluebird Man. We have Director Matt Podolsky's own account of meeting Al, production stills and festival photos, and the story of the night Al felt like Cary Grant.

A Conversation With...

Meeting Al - In Matt's Own Words

Al Larson, who became known as the Bluebird Man, passed away in 2025 at the age of 103. For over 40 years he had monitored and maintained more than 300 nestboxes for bluebirds across Southwest Idaho, banding more than 30,000 nestling bluebirds before they fledged.

Wild Commons co-founder and Bluebird Man Director Matt Podolsky first met Al when he was in his early 90s. It was his co-director Neil Paprocki who went into the field first - and the footage he came back with stopped Matt in his tracks.

"I'll never forget the footage that Neil showed me when he returned from that first trip. Neil captured footage of Al, at age 91, climbing up and over a tall metal gate to access a bluebird box. He climbed over the gate like it was nothing, and immediately moved onto the next bluebird box. I sensed immediately that we had stumbled across a fascinating story. This wasn't just about what Al was doing for the bluebirds - it was also about what the bluebirds were doing for Al."

~ Matt Podolsky

The more time Matt and Neil spent with Al on his bluebird trails, the clearer it became that the birds were inseparable from the man. Al believed his trails were the secret to his longevity. He joked that people who have nothing to do when they retire will drop dead. He called his work a job he didn't get paid for - but it was so much more than that.

Even after they had captured everything they needed for the film, Matt and Neil kept going out with Al.

Production Stills

Behind the Scenes

Festival Highlights

The Night Al Felt Like Cary Grant

The highlight of the festival run for Bluebird Man was the screening in Washington, DC, as part of the DC Environmental Film Festival (DCEFF). The festival awarded the film the Eric Moe Sustainability Award - the top honour given to short films at the event. They flew Al, Matt, and editor Emily Bender out to Washington for the screening, and threw a party in their honour.

“When Al walked onstage for the post-screening Q&A at the sold out screening, he told me that he felt like Cary Grant. This was one of my proudest moments as a filmmaker - I had made Al feel like a star, and he loved it!”

~ Matt Podolsky

Watch Bluebird Man

Share Al's Story

If the bonus content has you wanting to go back to the film, or you know someone who hasn't seen it yet, here's the link. Please share it freely.

We started Wild Commons because we believe the stories that matter most are often the ones that struggle hardest to find an audience. Bluebird Man is exactly the kind of film we built this platform for - patient, intimate, and full of the kind of wonder that makes you want to go outside and pay attention.

If you haven't already, subscribing to our YouTube channel is one of the most meaningful things you can do for the filmmakers we work with. Every subscriber tells the algorithm that these stories matter - and helps make sure the next great film finds the audience it deserves. It's free, it takes two seconds, and it makes a real difference.

More soon. 🐦

With gratitude,

Matthew, Kika, Hannah & Jackson

The Wild Commons Team