From Runway to Cinema Screen: Airport Western Scarecrows Captures the Hidden World of Aviation

Aviation professionals and film audiences alike are invited to discover the hidden side of RIX Riga Airport operations in Scarecrows, the latest documentary by acclaimed Latvian filmmaker Laila Pakalniņa. The film will have its national premiere today, on 27 February, in Riga, Latvia, opening the programme of the Latvian National Film Awards, where it is nominated in four categories.

Produced by VFS Films, Scarecrows is described as an “airport western” – a gripping and visually composed chronicle of the so-called “runway rangers” and their encounters with wildlife at RIX Riga Airport.

A Poem Inside the Airport

“For me, every film begins with curiosity – with the desire to find out and to tell others what lies at the heart of something. In this case – the airport,” says director Laila Pakalniņa. “So now you know – at the heart of the airport, there is a poem. What it looks and sounds like – that is what this film is about.” 

For the aviation community, Scarecrows offers a rare cinematic insight into wildlife hazard management and the daily, largely unseen work that underpins safe flight operations. For broader audiences, it is a visually striking meditation on coexistence – a reminder that the fences built for humans cannot fully protect every life.

The Hidden World Behind Every Take-Off

Filmed over five years and across four Latvian seasons, Scarecrows takes viewers into a paradoxical environment: an urban citadel of global travel bordered by forests, meadows, and waterways. Here, different species cross paths – each with its own route.

Behind every departure lies a less visible, high-stakes operation. Bird and wildlife control specialists – known in radio conversations with air traffic control as “scarecrows” – work daily to prevent potentially dangerous encounters between aircraft and animals. Armed with flare guns, nets, vehicle sirens, and persistence, they guide birds from taxiways, chase rabbits off runways and even contend with the occasional misplaced worm.

The film features the unique perspective of wildlife control officer Mareks Arbidāns, whose mobile phone footage complements the precise cinematography of Māris Maskalāns, revealing life in areas of the airport normally closed to public view. In a space governed by strict procedures and precision, nature continues to operate by its own rules.

As Cineuropa notes:

“Without the slightest trace of ecological activism, Laila Pakalniņa observes with charismatic curiosity the interaction of two conflicting worlds, opening our eyes to parallel realities that exist only a stone’s throw from the territories we rush through daily.”

Commenting on the film, the Chairperson of the RIX Riga Airport Ms. Laila Odiņa said: “Airports are often seen purely as infrastructure, as places of movement, efficiency, and technology. This film reminds us that an airport is also part of a living ecosystem. The daily work of our wildlife control team is essential to flight safety, yet largely invisible to passengers. We are proud that Scarecrows brings professional aviation safety practices into the public eye while showing the delicate balance between global connectivity and the natural environment that surrounds us.”