All That Breathes

Mesmerizing and contemplative, All That Breathes navigates the complexities of inter-species coexistence through the story of two brothers and their quest to save the black kite bird amid rising environmental toxicity and social unrest in New Delhi. The powerful, meditative documentary from director Shaunak Sen (Cities of Sleep) follows the siblings’ uphill effort to rescue and rehabilitate the kite, an integral part of the region’s ecosystem that is dropping from the smog-choked skies at an alarming rate. From their makeshift avian hospital in a cramped, urban basement, the Muslim brothers painstakingly tend to injured wildlife while their own existence is threatened by religious tensions and economic inequity. Shot in one of the most populated cities on earth, the HBO Documentary Films production captures the symbiotic relationship between the animals’ fight for survival and the brothers’ struggle to keep their family intact. For its graceful portrait of empathy and interconnectivity between nature and man, All That Breathes wins a Peabody Award.