Babies: The Movie

I recently had the opportunity to see the feature film Babies at a press screening and found myself thinking about it long afterwards. This sweet documentary follows the milestones in the lives of four babies (Ponijao in Nambia, Mari in Japan, Bayar in Mongolia and Hattie in California) from birth to just past their first birthdays. Shot in a style similar to the stunning feature, Baraka, where music and visuals dominate over dialogue, it is currently in theatres across the country.
My ‘mom’ perspective allowed me to appreciate the concept of milestones. As a first-time mom of an ‘almost’ two-year old, milestones are things I find myself looking at as though through a magnifying glass: when should Ally be smiling, eating, crawling, walking, talking…is she behind? Ahead? On schedule? And while those milestones eventually came, they were always linked with a range of emotions.

Babies shows us four gorgeous little ones in completely different landscapes who all reach these same milestones. Whether it’s little Bayar climbing up on a barrel surrounded by cows, or Hattie crawling after the cat in their sunny home, they’re all the same. It made me truly appreciate the instincts and curiosity of babies, no matter where (or how) they are raised. The film allowed me to enjoy the milestones of these sweet kids and reflect on my daughter’s. It also made me relax a little and recognize that babies are more resilient than we realize, and sometimes it’s okay to sit back and just watch them grow.

You can find more information about the film on the official Babies site.