All That Breathes

This beautiful documentary is nominated for the documentary Oscar, and I can see why.

It's a unique study of urban wildlife in one of the world's most densely populated, troubled and polluted cities, yet it teems with wildlife.

We see rats, wild pigs, cattle, camels, frogs, snails and owls, as well as the movie's avian heroes, Black Kites.

These revered birds are finding life tough in modern day Delhi, and as they fall, ill broken, from the sky in increasing numbers two brothers, in a makeshift domestic avian hospital, nurse them back to health and freedom in increasing numbers.

It's a slow reveal that some may find tedious.

Others, like me, will revel in its delicious unfolding of life, in abject squalor, in a Delhi slum. (And yet, I kept getting the feeling that this was a middle class neighbourhood we were witnessing/exploring).

The brothers, and their extended family, live in such a hovel that it's difficult to comprehend the work they do, or how they do it on such limited resources, on top of a day job, and the value this brings.

It's a wonderful exploration of nature as you have never seen it before, and deserves all the credit it is getting.

Loved this film . Everything about it.

Two brothers along with their family in Delhi devote their lives to the rescue and rehabilitation of Black Kites , magnificent raptors, that are literally 'falling out of the sky' . The kites along with humans and all species that live in the city are trying to adapt to the ever worsening conditions of what is home. The family lives and works in the vicinity of 'perhaps the largest landfill aka garbage dump' in the world' The film takes us through the day to day life and work of the brothers and their passionate commitment to caring and repairing the many broken birds that are collected daily.

Beautiful directing. Cinematography was spell binding. So respectful.

I feel so inspired and moved by the compassion and love of these people. Having done a lot of wildlife rescue myself I can only feel gratitude for these people who work with SO much less and yet make such a colossal difference. Beautiful work. Thank You .

Aristotle argued that tragedy cleansed the heart through pity and terror, purging us of our petty concerns and worries by making us aware that there can be nobility in suffering. He called this experience 'catharsis'.

Can a powerfully-told story change us, open pathways to being more than bleeding-heart/cold-hearted bystanders? Even a little? This masterful work digs deep, presenting images that i for one will never forget (nor would want to). If any work can be truely, soul-stirringly cathartic, this gorgeous, and excruciating account of a profoundly heroric family may be among the pantheon of works aiming for no less.

Some absolutely gorgeous cinematography and a poignant story of a family dedicated to saving injured predator birds amidst the pollution and political upheavals in Delhi. Sen forces the viewer to slow down and consider the natural world that coexists with the seemingly indifferent forces of urban spaces. And Nadeem, Saud, and Salik share their philosophy and way of life as they commit their lives to creatures who many in their society would otherwise leave to die. Haunting and beautiful.

As "All That Breathes" (2022 release from India; 96 min) opens, we are introduced to what life is like in New Delhi, with its ever worsening pollution and ever growing populations. Amidst it all, two brothers are doing all they can to treat and heal black kites, which seem to fall out of the sky at astonishing rates. To make matters worse, New Delhi is reeling from religious riots after the Indian government passes the anti-Muslim Citizenship Bill...

Couple of comments: this is not a straight-forward documentary. It features dream-like sequences as it reflects on how mankind ad animals must evolve in an ever-changing environment. We also get a fascinating glimpse into the day-to-day life of an average family in New Delhi (very cramped housing, chaotic overall atmosphere). Last but not least, we see hoe this family, part of the 200+ million Muslims in India, deals with the blatant anti-Muslim law that was passed in late 2019. Absolutely fascinating stuff, filmed brilliantly, and with a great original score to boot. The film has received a Best Documentary Oscar nomination, and for good reason. It's currently also rated 100% Certified Fresh on Rotten Tomatoes.

Ever since it premiered at the 2022 Sundance Film Festival, "All That Breathes" has been collecting film festival prizes left and right (including at Cannes). The film finally started showing on HBO and HBO Max a few days ago, and I couldn't wait to see it. (While I am happy to see that it got an Oscar nomination, I don't think it will win, as I'm pretty sure that the Best Documentary Oscar will go to "Navalny", and rightfully so.) If you are in the mood for a top notch documentary, I'd readily suggest you check this out, and draw your own conclusion.