The ReelTalk Wednesdays screened the film “All That Breathes” directed by Shau-nak Sen on December 3, at Aravali Auditorium. The film is a 90-minute documentary with subtitles in English.
All That Breathes is a story of two brothers, Mohammed Saud and Nadeem Shehzad, who run a bird hospital dedicated to rescuing injured black kites, a staple in the skies of New Delhi. Over the years, they’ve successfully treated and rehabilitated over 20,000 black kites falling from the city’s polluted skies.
The film is an Oscar-nominated documentary and has received international acclaim, winning prestigious awards at Sundance and Cannes.
The protagonists were present during the screening of the film and interacted with the audience after the screening of the film.
The film’s protagonists revealed that their primary approach was to completely ignore the camera and go about their daily routine as usual. They focused on their work, yawning, joking, and being themselves, oblivious to the fact that they were being filmed.
There was no scripted storyline. Instead, the filmmakers made all the creative decisions, selecting which moments to include in the final cut. The protagonists had no input in this process, allowing for a genuinely organic and spontaneous portrayal.
They said that they have had no formal education or training in treating the injured birds. Whatever techniques they use in taking care of the birds they have learnt them over a period of time through hit and trial. In that sense, their techniques are unusual and unseen by vets elsewhere. During the visit of one of the protagonists to the USA, he interacted with several veterinary doctors and found the techniques being used by his team for the repair of injured wings are much more advanced, and ever since their work has received a lot of attention.
They have no plans to write a book on their experiences on their own. However, as per their understanding with the filmmakers, the book on them will be written by the film production team.
The major cause for the injury caused to the flying birds is the glass- coated strings on the kites flown in the skies of Delhi. The number of injured birds increases manyfold during the Kite flying season in mid-July onwards every year. Suitable preventive measures should be enforced.
However, some viewers felt that the inclusion of the CAA riots, unrelated to the film’s core theme, was unnecessary and attention-grabbing. Moreover, the documentary sheds little light on the scientific reasons behind the birds’ decline, leaving some questions unanswered.
