The short film uses a very pressing concern of contemporary times as its subject matter - the effect of human encroachment on environment. However, instead of adopting a macro approach, it chooses the story of an ornithologist who has dedicated his life to the preservation of a severely endangered species of birds. The subject matter in itself is not entirely unique, but the manner of its treatment and the execution of the narrative is done most brilliantly. The story becomes a poignant, moving portrayal of a man's attempts to change the world for the better, and as is true of any major, large-scale change that always begins with a single individual, the consequent and seismic effect on the environment for the better. The non-fiction narrative is embellished with fictional recreation of the protagonist's life events that led him to where he is today, achieved by blurring lines between fiction and reality very smoothly. When coupled with sophisticated cinematography and elegant storytelling, the film becomes a beautiful product that will stay with the viewer, long after they're done interacting with it.

The Birdman | Short Film of the Day

Some of the most powerful stories are those marked by the least ostentatious tools and devices, and Hudson Geese goes ahead to become the perfect example of the same proposition. Marked by a voiceover coupled with animation, the film adopts a calm pace and tone, using extreme ease to hoodwink the viewer of what is truly to come. The plot maps a goose's migration flight, while he moves back and forth in the narrative, introducing you to his life so far - from finding himself a loving companion, to the changing landscape of the world around him, his story encompasses it all. As fields are turned into plush golf courses, and islands become over-riden with the sharp angles of a haphazardly growing urban infrastructure, coupled with the bird's inability to understand the rapidly evolving world around him, a pertinent comment is invoked on humans' relationship with nature. Director and writer Bernardo Britto's voice and the conceptualisation of the story is singularly wry, all the while carrying within it a hard-hitting comment on society. The humour inherent to the narrative is deliberately misleading to make the eventual progression of events all the more jarring. On the face of it, the film is simply the story of a goose, however, a single engagement with it is more than sufficient to reveal the expert and sophisticated manner in which an important message is conveyed without making it didactic or overbearing.

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