Our take
Though it doesn’t proceed like most animal/nature-centered documentaries that you’ve seen, the Oscar-nominated All That Breathes is instantly memorable in the way it de-centers the human perspective from its all-encompassing study of New Delhi, India. The wildlife rescue team that features prominently in this film still only becomes a vessel through which director Shaunak Sen explores the environmental and political hazards being faced by the nation today. It’s a movie that definitely challenges you to think for yourself, as any talking heads or on-screen explanations are traded for truly stunning shots of New Delhi as a biome teeming with life among the dirt. For those who want their documentaries unconventional, this is excellent stuff.
What it won
Oscars
1 nom
Cannes
1 nom
BAFTA
1 nom
DGA
1 nom
Spirit Awards
1 nom
Sundance
1 win
Nat. Board of Review
2 wins
The story
Against the darkening backdrop of New Delhi's apocalyptic air and escalating violence, two brothers devote their lives to protecting one casualty of the turbulent times: the bird known as the black kite.
Elsewhere
"ayering urban ecology, spiritual philosophy, politics and distilled character study, All That Breathes is a remarkable, vital work of cinema."
— Nick Bradshaw
"There is so much life in All That Breathes that you won't be left clamoring for more personality."
— David Ehrlich
The details
Streaming arrival
Who picked it
Emil Hofileña is a curator at A Good Movie to Watch. He also writes as a theater critic, with work published in Rogue and Out of Print, among others. He’s probably crying over a movie or an episode as we speak.
