About the film
Flying high above Los Angeles in a whirling news helicopter, Marika Gerrard and Zoey Tur (known then as Bob) captured some of the city’s most epic breaking news stories. The two recount the salacious details of their career as a husband-and-wife journalist team doing whatever it took to catch an unfolding story. Their camera captured the extreme adrenaline of the culture of live news and, as a result, the strain it took on their relationship—and, ultimately, a major life transition for Zoey. A wholly unique take on the story of Los Angeles told through stunning aerial footage and remarkable home videos, Whirlybird reframes many of the city’s pivotal moments of the 1990s, including the O. J. Simpson pursuit and the 1992 riots.
In Matt Yoka’s sprawling debut feature, he deftly mirrors the peaks and valleys of one unique American family to the city of Los Angeles, showcasing their parallel growing pains and their search for a sense of self. Whirlybird is a completely original and intricately woven tapestry that reveals the agony and the ecstasy of breaking news.
RELEASE
In Theaters and on Demand August 6th
TRAILER:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0bDG6383kkM
SYNOPSIS:
Soaring above the chaotic spectacle of ‘80s and ‘90s Los Angeles, a young couple revolutionized breaking news with their brazen helicopter reporting. Culled from this newsduo’s sprawling video archive is a poignant L.A. story of a family in turbulence hovering over a city unhinged.
A pioneer of helicopter reporting, Zoey Tur, along with then-wife Marika Gerrard, forever changed broadcast news with their action-packed live coverage of monumental moments in the history of L.A., including the 1992 riots and the O.J. Simpson Ford Bronco chase in1994. This intense work delivered a needed daily dose of adrenaline for Zoey (known then as Bob), but the thousands of hours spent chasing breaking news eventually took its toll.
Through the meticulous digitization and restoration of Zoey and Marika's sprawling videotape archive, this documentary brings to life the candid memories and reflections delivered by Zoey and Marika - as well as their kids, including their daughter, MSNBC host and author Katy Tur. In Matt Yoka’s feature debut, WHIRLYBIRD, he delivers an immersive L.A. epic through the intimate story of a relationship.
A pioneer of helicopter reporting, Zoey Tur, along with then-wife Marika Gerrard, forever changed broadcast news with their action-packed live coverage of monumental moments in the history of L.A., including the 1992 riots and the O.J. Simpson Ford Bronco chase in1994. This intense work delivered a needed daily dose of adrenaline for Zoey (known then as Bob), but the thousands of hours spent chasing breaking news eventually took its toll.
Through the meticulous digitization and restoration of Zoey and Marika's sprawling videotape archive, this documentary brings to life the candid memories and reflections delivered by Zoey and Marika - as well as their kids, including their daughter, MSNBC host and author Katy Tur. In Matt Yoka’s feature debut, WHIRLYBIRD, he delivers an immersive L.A. epic through the intimate story of a relationship.
