Film
All That Breathes
- Social drama
- Very dark
- Slow-burning
A documentary following two brothers in New Delhi who rescue and rehabilitate black kites poisoned by the city's toxic air. It's a meditation on ecological collapse, familial devotion, and finding meaning through care in a dying world. Visually stunning and quietly devastating, it's for anyone who believes small acts of rescue matter.
If you liked this
My Octopus Teacher2020
A filmmaker documents his year-long relationship with an octopus in a South African kelp forest. Like All That Breathes, it's about patient observation, the healing power of nature connection, and discovering profound wisdom in another creature's life.
But Slower and more meditative than you might expect; if you want a nature thriller with conflict and stakes, this is contemplative instead.
Chasing Coral2017
Divers and scientists document the great barrier reef's bleaching in real time. Shares the same urgent environmental grief and visual beauty, with protagonists driven by witnessing catastrophe they can't stop.
But It's harder to watch than All That Breathes because the damage is happening globally and visibly; the hopelessness can feel crushing.
The Salt of Life2011
Iranian director Kiarostami follows fishermen in the Persian Gulf dealing with ecological and economic collapse. Same poetic tone, same focus on human dignity amid environmental devastation, similarly hypnotic cinematography.
But Minimalist pacing; very little plot happens, and it requires patience with ambiguity and quietness.
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The wildcard
Something you would not have found on your own.
Fireworks1997
Both use extraordinary cinematography to document people fighting meaninglessness in collapsing urban spaces; both find grace in small acts amid systems too large to fix.
Takeshi Kitano's Japanese noir about two outcasts in a deteriorating city. Same visual poetry applied to human violence and desperation, same intimate scale, same sense that beauty and decay coexist. A completely different register—violent where All That Breathes is tender—but identical emotional DNA.
But Brutally bleak with no redemptive arc; the violence is graphic and the despair unrelenting in ways the documentary's quietness never is.
More like this (8)
Won't You Be My Neighbor?2018
Documentary about Mr. Rogers' radical commitment to kindness in a chaotic world. Shares the film's faith in small, quiet acts of care as resistance to violence and despair.
But If you're expecting hard-hitting investigation or conflict, it's warmth-focused and can feel almost too gentle.
Life of Pi2012
David Attenborough narrates the survival strategies of animals across ecosystems. The same sense of awe at creatures' resilience and beauty, though on a grander, more exploratory scale.
But Fundamentally optimistic about nature; if you want the darker environmental message All That Breathes carries, this won't satisfy it.
Honeyland2019
A documentary-drama hybrid about a beekeeper in North Macedonia balancing tradition and survival. Same intimate focus on one person's relationship with creatures, same visual poetry, same bittersweet tone.
But Part narrative reconstruction blurs the line between documentary and fiction; that ambiguity might feel dishonest depending on your tolerance.
The Biggest Little Farm2019
A couple builds a regenerative farm in California over a decade. Similar arc of two people attempting ecological healing; shares the intimate, observational style and the belief that small systems matter.
But Substantially more uplifting and solution-focused; if you want systemic despair, this tilts too hopeful.
Blackfish2013
Documents orcas in captivity, focusing on one whale's story. Shares the focus on a single animal's suffering within human systems, the same sense of injustice and care as the kite rescuers' work.
But More investigative and angry than All That Breathes; if you prefer subtlety and ambiguity, this is more direct advocacy.
Rivers and Tides2001
Profiles environmental artist Andy Goldsworthy creating ephemeral works in nature. Meditative, visually striking, about patience and working within ecological systems rather than against them.
But Very slow and conceptual; no traditional narrative, and some will find it precious or self-indulgent.
A Ghost Story2017
Both are about presence and attention in the face of inevitable loss; both believe that bearing witness—even when you cannot change things—is the point.
A widower's ghost watches over his former house across decades as the world changes around it. Abstracted meditation on what endures, what we leave behind, our relationship to place and time. Same hypnotic, slightly mournful tone; same fascination with witness and presence.
But Frustratingly vague; if you want clarity or plot momentum, this is deliberately elliptical and will feel like nothing happens.
The Ascent1977
Both ask what we owe to suffering creatures or people in a world indifferent to suffering; both believe that care itself, regardless of outcome, is a form of transcendence.
Soviet director Andrei Tarkovsky follows two partisans during World War II walking toward execution. Philosophical, beautifully composed, obsessed with endurance and meaning-making under impossible conditions. Entirely different context but identical spiritual weight.
But Glacially slow, deliberately obscure, demands repeated viewing; most people will find it impenetrably difficult.
People
Cast
- Mohammad SaudSelf
- Nadeem ShehzadSelf
- Salik RehmanSelf
Directing
- Shaunak SenDirector
- Rohan RanganathanFirst Assistant Director
Production
- Guy HorlockAssociate Producer
- Sam StanleyAssociate Producer
- Florrie PriestCo-Producer
- David EliscoExecutive Producer
- Sean B. CarrollExecutive Producer
- Aman MannProducer
- Shaunak SenProducer
- Teddy LeiferProducer