All That Breathes on Sky review: ecological tragedy documentary is deeply affecting

In New Delhi, the air is so thick and polluted that birds are literally dropping from the sky. The city’s black kites, an integral feature of its ecosystem, are dying at an alarming rate in the toxic heat.

This rapidly unfolding ecological tragedy is tackled in All That Breathes, a new documentary from Indian director Shaunak Sen, which scooped prizes at Sundance and Cannes. Rich in poetic cinematography, character depth and political nuance, it is one of the most affecting documentaries to be released in recent years.

Brothers Nadeem Shehzad and Mohammad Saud have devoted two decades of their lives attempting to save the black kite, a majestic predatory species of bird that is being suffocated by the city’s smog. At their makeshift sanctuary, they treat an average of 2,500 wounded birds every year and help them to fly again.

They are keenly aware of the increasing futility of their efforts in a country ruled by a government that appears indifferent to the impact of climate change on the city’s biodiversity. “Delhi is a gaping wound and we are a band aid on it,” one of the brothers remarks wearily, though their passion remains undented.

The brothers’ sense of despondency is heightened by fears over a lack of financial support from local charities and the looming prospect of Nadeem abandoning the sanctuary to study in the US. The film follows their daily lives as they rescue birds trapped in rivers, tend to their broken wings and cheer as they release them back into the sky.

All That Breathes is visually stunning and poignantly captures nature’s struggle to survive in an urban dystopia. Turtles crawl among a thick mound of bin bags and discarded boxes; pigs bathe in a dirty street swamp formed during a torrential downpour. In one particularly beautiful shot, a black kite glides in the thick smog next to a half-moon floating on the edge of the sky. These moments blend perfectly with Roger Goula’s soundtrack, which channels the synth-laden, ambient sweep of Jon Hopkins and Ólafur Arnalds.

The richness of the film’s imagery is key to the power of its message. Sen eschews traditional documentary techniques: there are no talking heads or statistics on slides. In this sense, it has far more in common with Wong Kar Wai than, say, Planet Earth. The film’s only minor weakness is its reluctance to present a killer fact at key moments which could help to add context for viewers unfamiliar with India’s environmental and sociopolitical struggles.

The second half of the film takes an altogether darker turn as a wave of sectarian violence sweeps through the city. As Muslims in a country increasingly under the grip of Hindu nationalism, Mohammad and Nadeem fear that riots could spread to their neighbourhood of Wazirabad and destroy their sanctuary. The brothers, who are both gentle, decent men, cannot fathom why one religion could feel “disgust” towards another. “Life itself is kinship. We all share the same community of air,” Nadeem says at the end of the film.

While the sectarian tensions of Modi’s India simmer constantly in the background throughout, All That Breathes’ predominant concern is not political. This is a gorgeous, empathetic meditation on the interconnectedness of man and nature; and the raw ugliness of the destruction of the world we share.

All That Breathes will air on Sky Documentaries and NOW on February 8