Kestrel's Eye

Shot--literally--from a bird's eye view, this extraordinarily graceful film looks at the world from the point of view of a pair of European falcons (kestrels, as they are called) in their nook high in the wall of a church in a small Swedish village. In this narration-less landscape, where the only synchronous sound heard is the occasional airplane overhead, a distant siren, or a bicycle bell, the camera lingers through the passing seasons as the birds fuss about their aerie, lay eggs, preen, hunt, and react to the noise below. Breathtaking shots evoke the feeling of flying and capture the perspective of the world below as seen from on high, where the church--with its funerals, weddings, fussy groundskeepers, and myriad passersby--provides a microcosm of the human condition perfectly juxtaposed to the simple existence of the birds. The filmmaker, award-winning documentarian Mikael Kristersson, wisely avoids close-ups of people, minimizing the complexity of their interpersonal stories in favor of the simple, intimate drama of the kestrels' world. In a media environment increasingly dominated by sound bites, jump cuts, and distracting noise, this meditative and beautifully rendered film reminds us with astonishing simplicity that every creature has a story. Highly recommended. Editor's Choice. Aud: I, J, H, C, P. (A. Cantu)