There are two species of birds that always leave me awe-struck when I see them in person. One is the majestic bald eagle, a large bird of prey, and the other is the hummingbird, the smallest bird in the world. My love of hummingbirds is just one of the many reasons why I absolutely loved twice Emmy-nominated director Sally Aitken’s EVERY LITTLE THING, which is competing in the US Documentary Competition at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival.
The film tells the deeply personal story of scientist Terry Masear who has made it her life’s work to nurse wounded and sick hummingbirds back o health at her hummingbird sanctuary in Hollywood, CA. It is amazing to watch her take care of these tiny, beautiful birds with such empathy and love, even giving them names, sometimes related to their injuries. We meet baby Jimmy, who fell out of his nest and Cactus, a hummingbird who has flown into a cactus plant and was found with thorns stuck in her back. Throughout the film we also learn about Terry’s life and how her childhood trauma led her on a path of healing by taking care of these fragile and vulnerable creatures, stating in the film, “Their lives depend on me.”
Along with the fascinating story of a woman’s symbiotic relationship with these tiny birds, EVERY LITTLE THING is a cinematically stunning film with incredible closeups of hummingbirds and breathtaking time lapse photography of exotic, colorful flowers. Kudos to the photographic team! The soundtrack is especially pleasing, setting the scene at the beginning with the classic “It Never Rains in Southern California” and ending with Bob Marley’s “Three Little Birds” often referred to as “Every Little Thing is Gonna Be Alright” while the credits roll. I highly recommend seeing this film! If not able to watch at Sundance in person, you may buy an online ticket to watch the film between Jan. 25 and Jan 28, 2024 on the Sundance online channel.
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