Nestled within the bustling streets of Delhi, ravaged by riots, protests and toxic fumes lies a makeshift rescue clinic; nurtured by promises, dreams, and aspirations. Helmed by two brothers Saud and Nadeem with a starry-eyed helper Salik, they strive to help and nurse wounded predatory birds in the city. Directed by Shaunak Sen, "All That Breathes" is a poignant documentary that weaves together the threads of human existence and environmental consciousness. The documentary is a human take on the fragility that our world precariously hangs between. With shots trailing along grimy streets and parched holes dug by rats and other vermin, the audience is introduced to a pertinent topic that continues to affect every citizen living in this country. A constant that we have learnt to live with and adapt to our surroundings — pollution.
Brothers Nadeem and Saud have dedicated nearly two decades of their lives to caring for creatures, especially the black kite. Their interest in the birds which soared above their impoverished Delhi neighbourhood drove these adolescent bodybuilders to pursue a career as amateur veterinarians. With extreme close-ups highlighting different animals: an owl peeking through a crack in the wall, a centipede crawling out of a puddle, a turtle climbing up a pile of trash on the side of the road, and monkeys scurrying across cables - we are introduced to the world they live in. A visual commentary of a city brimming with creatures who are becoming more accustomed to living in regions densely populated by humans.
In the face of smog-filled skies, mountains of trash, rivers full of contaminated residue, honking cars, and congested pothole-riddled streets, their work appears pointless. They continue their efforts despite financial limitations and rising expenses. This non-fiction masterpiece — which has garnered accolades at Cannes and Sundance — may be the most carefully crafted documentary in recent memory. It pays close attention to both the big and small details in almost every shot. Instead of being sanctimonious about its subject matter, the film chooses to build moments of resilience and strength amidst the increasing challenges that threaten the coexistence of an endangered species.
Through the lens of these birds, the nation's nationalistic tendencies, the threat of nuclear war, and the highly contentious Citizenship Amendment Act of 2019 — which openly discriminated against Muslims — are all examined. The Act also has a significant impact on this Muslim family. However, despite that setting, Sen finds time for casual, unplanned conversations as family life is disrupted by the clinic’s never-ending demands.
At the 10th Documentary Film Festival of Sophia College (Autonomous), Sen said, “I did not want to make a sweet film about nice people doing cute things. There is really a version of that that's possible with this film. Like a very bleeding heart, sentimental, NGOish sort of film about these people saving poor birds. And all of those are prospects that are not attractive to me. The idea is to never crowbar your sense of politics in, you have to respect the integrity of what you’re seeing. And what we saw was that these brothers were doing singular remarkable work with the birds but outside there are these many things happening. So the idea is to bring these concentric circles into the film.”
There are also lighthearted moments like Salik’s glasses being nicked off his face by a kite in a memorable opening scene, animated cricket matches and Nadeem’s comically dry humour.
Sen has eschewed the way we look at normative documentaries and has made this genre his own. He said, “The one thing that helped us structure it (the film) is, in a way, we realised the whole film kept sort of switching between extreme compression and extreme decompression. So we kept moving between this claustrophobic basement — this tiny sort of derelict basement like 7ft by 8ft — where the brothers are repairing and mending the birds. And that would also cut to the open skies of the city of Delhi. So we keep moving between extreme compression and extreme decompression, a little like inhaling and exhaling, a little like breathing. And that sort of became the structural motif in the film, it became a sort of rhythm and cadence of the film at large.”
Pondering through 3 full years or 600 hours of footage is not an easy task but Sen and his editors knew they had a story to tell. One that could not be confined to the bylanes of Delhi any longer. A story of patience and persistence amidst the ever-growing obstacles of bureaucratic red tape, family tensions and violent outrages. All That Breathes is a nuanced, bittersweet rumination on the meaning of humanity.
The film captures Delhi as a complicated, failing ecosystem with a rare vividness — which is ironic considering the metaphorical and literal grey you are engulfed in the moment you enter the city. The affectionately competitive relationship between the brothers with the refreshing innocence ushered in by Salik’s curiosity infuses a certain subtlety to the film. Sen's surprisingly lighthearted observational documentary, which has a tone more melancholy and charming than one might expect given the several crises at hand, chooses to emphasise tenacity and resistance over anticipations of catastrophe. A feat that leaves the viewers hooked to the screen until the very end.