March 14, 2010

The film world's clock is counting down to May, when 'Babies', a documentary following the lives of four children from across the globe, arrives on screens.

The children are Ponijao, who lives with her family in Namibia, Bayarjargal from Mongolie, Mari from Tokyo, and Hattie from San Francisco. The director invites us to share the daily lives of four children with strikingly different ways of living, yet who also share remarkable commonalities. For instance, who would have imagined that unintentionally causing animals to suffer was a universally shared behavior among children? Yet it quickly becomes apparent when we witness the patience of animals—cats and goats alike—pushed to their limits.

Director Thomas Balmes resists exaggerating the adorable qualities of his protagonists. The children's words are unscripted, and he forgoes any explanatory voiceover. Instead, he allows his cameras to slip quietly into the children's daily lives, often from their own point of view, with minimal dialogue from the adults surrounding them. Keep an eye on Bayarjargal from Mongolie, who steals the show and spends much of the film contending with his older brother, who strikes him discreetly whenever the camera rolls. His brother whisks him away in a stroller and abandons him among the animals, creating a moment of pure anxiety before Bayarjargal's eyes widen with wonder. Bayarjargal, wrestling with a thirsty goat over his bath water, also enjoys the advantage of being set against the most breathtaking landscapes. The scenes shot in nature—with its mountains, blue skies, and the sound of horses galloping across the endless steppe—will enchant Western audiences who dream of Mongolie's vast open spaces.

Charlène Nomadays

Early SEO writer at Nomadays who evolved into content manager and head of communications, Charlène has accompanied the adventure from its inception with passion and unwavering commitment. After spending seven years across Asia—from China to Thailand, passing through Mongolie and South Korea—she has made travel a way of being in the world. A lover of words, nature, and human connection, she dedicates herself to conveying in her writing a sensitive, engaged, and responsible vision of tourism. For her, every article is a bridge between curiosity, respect, and wonder.