24/11/2025 - Martin Danneels' documentary is a quiet meditation on one of Ireland's most endangered and fascinating species: the corncrake

In Answering the Call, premiering in the Irish Voices strand of this year's Cork International Film Festival, director Martin Danneels turns his camera toward one of Ireland’s most endangered and enigmatic birds: the corncrake. Once a familiar presence across the country, its rasping nocturnal call has all but vanished, silenced by decades of intensified agriculture and shrinking habitats. Today, only a handful of pockets on the western seaboard still host the species — fragile remnants of a population that once thrived. Danneels’ film, however, is less a lament than a gentle yet determined plea for renewed stewardship.

Set against the rugged beauty of Ireland’s Atlantic edge, the documentary follows ecologists, farmers and volunteers as they attempt to reverse the bird’s decline. The cinematography leans heavily into atmosphere: skies bruised by shifting weather fronts, rolling grasslands shimmering under the wind, and aerial shots that trace both the vastness and the vulnerability of these landscapes. Danneels patiently observes a world where every gesture — a field left uncut, a fence moved, a nocturnal vigil — carries the weight of hope.

Although rich in mood, the film embraces a structure familiar to nature-focused television. Controlled interviews, carefully staged encounters in plains and farmyards, and clear-cut explanations of ecological challenges reflect an approach anchored in accessibility rather than formal experimentation. Danneels opts for linearity, guiding the viewer through the narrative with clarity and restraint. It is simple, perhaps overly so at times, but undeniably effective in communicating the urgency of the mission.

One of the film’s most compelling threads stretches far beyond Ireland. Answering the Call draws a line down the corncrake’s migratory path to central Africa, revealing how the fate of this almost-invisible bird is intertwined with communities thousands of kilometres away. In doing so, Danneels gestures toward a broader, global reality: the erosion of biodiversity, human-driven climate change and the delicate interdependence of ecosystems. What begins as a portrait of a tiny local struggle resonates widely, echoing concerns familiar to countless regions facing the loss of species and habitats.

Yet the film’s quietness — its gentle pace, its soft emotional register — is both its charm and its constraint. There are moments when one wishes for a jolt of cinematic daring, a deeper immersion into the corncrake’s elusive world or a more forceful interrogation of policy and systemic failings. Instead, Danneels delivers something closer to a contemplative ode, shaped by admiration rather than confrontation.

Still, the human presence at the heart of Answering the Call gives the documentary its warmth. Local farmers, lifelong birders, and international researchers share the screen with understated sincerity. Their passion — whether rooted in heritage, science or simple affection — becomes the driving force of the film. Together, they restore a sense of wonder to a creature most viewers may never see, but whose survival carries profound ecological meaning.

In the end, Danneels celebrates not just a species, but the patience and devotion required to protect it. Humans, he reminds us, are often loud, fast and destructive. Yet here are people who choose the opposite: those willing to mend habitats, adjust their routines and wait, perhaps for years, to hear a single rasping call break the silence again.

Answering the Call is produced by Ireland's Red Pepper Productions.