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You can watch Birdman of Alcatraz (1962) for free on Hoopla, rent on Apple TV+, or buy on Apple TV+.

After killing a prison guard, convict Robert Stroud faces life imprisonment in solitary confinement. Driven nearly mad by loneliness and despair, Stroud's life gains new meaning when he happens upon a helpless baby sparrow in the exercise yard and nurses it back to health. Despite having only a third grade education, Stroud goes on to become a renowned ornithologist and achieves a greater sense of freedom and purpose behind bars than most people find in the outside world.

Can a man find profound purpose through scientific study while rotting in a concrete cell? This character study tracks a violent inmate’s transformation from a social pariah into a brilliant ornithologist.

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