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Regular readers of The Curb will know that I have a particular soft spot for the work of Sally Aitken. Through her expansive filmography that tells stories that span the globe, from David Stratton, to Valerie Taylor, to The Wiggles, and now to Every Little Thing, a film about Terry, a wildlife carer in California who runs a rehab facility for hummingbirds, Sally has managed to provide a generous, kind, and considerate perspective of the world and how we interact with it.
Every Little Thing is a sonic and visual delight of a film that wonders the senses with cinematography that fully immerses us in the world of the hummingbird, all the while presenting the dedication and care that Terry Masear gives to these tiny, fragile creatures who flit about the world, acting as harmonious pollinators who enrich the ever-increasingly human dominated nature that they live within.
I’ve seen plenty of films about animals being cared for, or about the communities that spring up in a fight for animal activism, and yet, I’ve never really seen a film like Every Little Thing. In the following interview, you’ll hear me talk to Sally about why I feel this is a purely unique film, one that manages to present the role of an animal carer in a deeply compassionate and understandable way. I’m in awe of the majesty on display here, and while I’ve always loved Sally’s work, I feel that Every Little Thing is yet another grand step forward in her role as a humanistic filmmaker.
Every Little Thing screens at the Adelaide Film Festival on Thursday 24 October, and again on 2 November. Sally will be in attendance on 24 October and will attend a panel on documentary filmmaking on Friday the 25th of October. Visit AdelaideFilmFestival.org for more details.
