‘All That Breathes’ Review: The Birds Flying Overhead Serve As An Environmental And Socio-Political Warning For Our Contemporary World
Courtesy of Sideshow & HBO Documentary Films.
"One shouldn't differentiate between all that breathes" - one of the most touching and meditative quotes from All That Breathes, the latest documentary from Shaunak Sen. First appearing in early 2022 - when it won the Grand Jury Documentary Prize at Sundance, and the Golden Eye at Cannes - All That Breathes is set in New Dehli, India and centers around Muhammad Saud and Nadeem Shehzad, two brothers who operate a wildlife rescue that focuses on healing black kites, birds of prey that hold a spiritual significance within Muslim culture. Powerfully lyrical in its ruminations of humanity's relationships with all living creatures, All That Breathes utilizes the brothers and their connections to the black kites to capture the atmosphere of New Dehli as the city continues to grow and modernize rapidly in the face of religious, political, and social unrest.
Muhammad and Nadeem, the two brothers at the heart of All That Breathes, speak of their lifelong connection with the black kites, passed down by their mother and their religious community: “meat tossing” is a tradition among the Muslims of New Delhi, who hold faith that their sins will be washed away by throwing meat toward the sky for the kites to eat. This spiritual association with the birds has followed the brothers for their entire life, leading them to create their Wildlife Rescue in 2010. Through the organization, operated out of the basement of their home when the documentary begins, the brothers give veterinary care to black kites and other species of birds they find around New Dehli. As the documentary commences, Muhammad and Nadeem's treatment of animals and struggles to grow their rescue takes priority, but this narrative focus expands to examine the civil unrest in New Dehli and the city's relationship with the rest of the world as All That Breathes moves forward.
Instead of relying on conventional exposition, All That Breathes provides an engaging viewing experience that gradually allows the documentary's environmental, social, and political dynamics to unfold. Social unrest slowly escalates in the film's backdrop due to India's increasing anti-muslim legislature as the government rolls out a citizenship bill that many see as discriminatory towards the country's nearly 200 million Muslim citizens. The rising conflict surrounding these protests begins to cause strain in the lives of the Kite Brothers and their tight-knit family, forcing them to examine the future of their community and its place in the world.
Although potent through its deliberations of modern-day India, the craft behind All That Breathes works to elevate the documentary to a work of cinematic artistry. The film begins with a static shot of an empty trash-strewn lot, but the audience quickly learns that the space is teeming with life. Hundreds of rats and other small creatures come into focus - along with the sounds of their life force - re-contextualizing the lonely space to one full of energy and vitality. The film's cinematographers (Ben Bernhard, Riju Das, and Saumyananda Sahi) utilize an unobstructive camera, allowing the film's animal subjects to exist within their most natural state. The camera's stillness in All That Breathes aligns perfectly with its documentary format. Although sparse, the score by Roger Goula is tinkling and serene, creating an intriguing juxtaposition between the overwhelming bustling of New Dehli and its increasing turmoil.
Courtesy of Sideshow & HBO Documentary Films.
Throughout the 94-minute runtime of All That Breathes, the Kite Brothers repeatedly circle back to the reality that " birds are falling from the sky every day," a horrifyingly apocalyptic truth that increases with the rapid expansion and pollution of New Delhi. While this certainty of their existence is based on their own day-to-day life in the Indian city, it can also serve as a warning to almost every part of the world as rapid industrialization and population growth continues to skyrocket, along with increasing social and political divides continue to polarize nearly every culture. Since its initial release, All That Breathes has racked up numerous award nominations and wins throughout the season, including nods at the Academy Awards, BAFTAs, Independent Spirit Awards, and the Cinema Eye Honors. Audiences can now catch All That Breathes streaming on HBO Max.
4/5
Click here for more information on the Kite Brothers and their wildlife rescue.