Watch Kids' Reviews of
BIRDS (2020)

The short student film Birds has a beautiful message. I love how young and small the boy is, his performance is what makes it so precious. The stories that his grandma tells him and how he listens to her is heartwarming. The story begins after the little boy's mother has passed and his grandma struggles to help him cope with his loss. She uses the birds to explain to him that his mother is always close to him and he keeps the birds to stay close.

I like how the grandma uses the birds to show the boy that his mom is still around him and how the boy really clings to that for a while, before he decides to think about it in a different way.

The use of close-ups is notable in the beginning as it slowly reveals the characters. I also like how the camera shakily follows him as he walks through the snow and how it pans up to show the corn at the top of the door to pique your curiosity. The camera work is delightful. However, this digital file that we were given to review the film on is of very poor quality. We cannot accept this file. As much as we love the film, with a good file, we cannot screen it in the KIDS FIRST! Film Festival

The boy's coat, scarf and gloves really show how bitterly cold it must be and gives you a really strong feeling of how it must feel for the boy. The little house where the boy lives with his grandmother shows us that they live in very modest means. The background music stands out because it is mysterious and really made me wonder what was going to happen. The young boy and his grandma's relationship is very convincing. The love they have for each other and the care that the boy shows for the birds and how he evolves is beautiful. I love when the boy lets the birds go and giggles.

The message of this film is about how the love between you and your lost loved ones does not need to include the sacrifices of others. You should know that it does show the boy doing risky things that kids might imitate. Also, there are older kids that show up who are cruel to the birds and the boy becomes violent with the boys. You should also know that the dialogue, which there is very little of, is in French with English subtitles. The film itself is from Georgia.

I give Birds 5 out of 5 stars and recommend it for ages 10 to 14. Reviewed by Melissa M.

The short student film Birds has a beautiful message. I love how young and small the boy is, his performance is what makes it so precious. The stories that his grandma tells him and how he listens to her is heartwarming. The story begins after the little boy's mother has passed and his grandma struggles to help him cope with his loss. She uses the birds to explain to him that his mother is always close to him and he keeps the birds to stay close.

I like how the grandma uses the birds to show the boy that his mom is still around him and how the boy really clings to that for a while, before he decides to think about it in a different way.

The use of close-ups is notable in the beginning as it slowly reveals the characters. I also like how the camera shakily follows him as he walks through the snow and how it pans up to show the corn at the top of the door to pique your curiosity. The camera work is delightful. However, this digital file that we were given to review the film on is of very poor quality. We cannot accept this file. As much as we love the film, with a good file, we cannot screen it in the KIDS FIRST! Film Festival

The boy's coat, scarf and gloves really show how bitterly cold it must be and gives you a really strong feeling of how it must feel for the boy. The little house where the boy lives with his grandmother shows us that they live in very modest means. The background music stands out because it is mysterious and really made me wonder what was going to happen. The young boy and his grandma's relationship is very convincing. The love they have for each other and the care that the boy shows for the birds and how he evolves is beautiful. I love when the boy lets the birds go and giggles.

The message of this film is about how the love between you and your lost loved ones does not need to include the sacrifices of others. You should know that it does show the boy doing risky things that kids might imitate. Also, there are older kids that show up who are cruel to the birds and the boy becomes violent with the boys. You should also know that the dialogue, which there is very little of, is in French with English subtitles. The film itself is from Georgia.

I give Birds 5 out of 5 stars and recommend it for ages 10 to 14. Reviewed by Melissa M.

A grandmother replies to her grandson's curious questions and one answer impels the child to catch birds so he can see his deceased mother. The boy spends his days on the roof trying to catch many birds. His grandmother reacts calmly to his desire, only remarking that birds have mothers and they miss them too. Later a group of older boys bully the boy and that changes a lot of thing for the little dreamer.