Babies The Movie

Last year I was disappointed when I missed seeing Babies in the theater.  This is a special documentary that looks at childhood in four different cultures around the world.  "Directed by award-winning filmmaker Thomas Balmès, from an original idea by producer Alain Chabat, Babies simultaneously follows four babies around the world – from birth to first steps.  The camera follows Ponijao, who lives with her family near Opuwo, Namibia; Bayarjargal, who resides with his family in Mongolia, near Bayanchandmani; Mari, who lives with her family in Tokyo, Japan; and Hattie, who resides with her family in San Francisco."

Now that it is out on DVD , I finally got to see it.  It gave me a lot of food for thought.  There is no dialogue just the shared human experience of raising children.  I loved the way these little children interacted with their different environments.  Their joy, unbridled emotions and curiosity was contagious especially watching scenes like Ponijo drinking from a stream and Mari having a temper tantrum.  Watching the show without dialogue allows you to create your own  dialogue and come to your own conclusions, which for me meant realizing how much we are a part of a much bigger family. Babies only follows the children their first year but I would love to see how they have grown.  A part two would be nice. I am looking forward to seeing it with my nieces and getting their reaction.  If you haven't already, check out Babies.  To get more information and find out how the Babies parents felt about the movies visit www.focusfeatures.com/babies/synopsis.