Whimsical almost to the point of absurdity, this beautiful, meditative film about an Indian bird sanctuary is full of soul-transforming magic
The opening shot of All That Breathes (Sky Documentaries) comes into focus – a ground-level pan across an abandoned wasteland – and not since Pixar’s Ratatouille have so many squabbling vermin been granted so much cinematic dignity.
This is the Delhi of documentary film-maker Shaunak Sen, last captured in his 2015 Cities of Sleep doc about how “sleep mafias” have capitalised on homelessness in the Indian capital. That film was little-seen outside the festival circuit, but All That Breathes is already internationally recognised, nabbing the grand jury prize at Sundance, best documentary at Cannes, as well as Bafta and Oscar nominations. Now, thanks to this Sky Documentaries slot, an even wider audience can be confronted by the strange beauty of a thousand rats by moonlight.
