EVERY LITTLE THING
Author and wildlife rehabilitator Terry Masear is a magical woman. She is a defender of the smallest. As a hummingbird protector, her connection to these animals is a gateway to healing, both bird and woman.
Worthy of a National Geographic seal of approval, Sally Aitken‘s EVERY LITTLE THING boasts stunning cinematography by Ann Johnson Prum. Alongside Caitlin Yeo’s lovely score, it is a captivating viewing experience.
We meet several birds by name. One particularly injured little one named Cactus captures our hearts. Juxtaposed with the deep trauma from her childhood, Terry explains how selfishness affects the rehabilitation process.
The film makes it effortless to root for these tiny birds. Terry’s relentless determination and patience, her ability to be so in tune with these creatures, is mesmerizing. It’s incredibly powerful.
There is an overall sweetness to the film that can only be felt upon viewing. It is simultaneously heartbreaking and joyful. A meditation on grief and healing, EVERY LITTLE THING is a light in the darkness and the example of compassion we all need at this moment in time.
Every Little Thing Trailer:
Kino Lorber is pleased to present EVERY LITTLE THING, an intimate and moving documentary about injured hummingbirds and the singular woman working to save them.
EVERY LITTLE THING opens January 10 at the IFC Center in NYC and January 17 at the Laemmle Monica in LA, with national expansion to follow.
SYNOPSIS — Author and rehabber Terry Masear wants to save every injured hummingbird in Los Angeles. Terry takes in the most fragile of patients through her volunteer hummingbird rescue, but the path to survival is fraught with uncertainty and drama. Over the course of Sally Aitken’s intimate and moving documentary, we become invested in Terry’s hummingbird patients – including Cactus, Jimmy, Wasabi, Raisin, and Mikhail – celebrating their small victories and lamenting their tiny tragedies. Through the eyes of America’s busiest bird rehabilitator, each bird becomes memorable, mighty and heroic. As she nurtures the wounded hummingbirds back to health, Terry finds herself on her own transformative journey, unraveling a visually captivating and magical tale of love, healing, and the delicate beauty in tiny acts of greatness.
ABOUT THE FILMMAKER
Sally Aitken (Writer/Director)
Sally Aitken is an Emmy® nominated director and writer, and a showrunner of multiple international series. Known for visually arresting work characterized by sensitivity and humor she relishes unknown stories and the world’s complexities. Her most recent feature, Every Little Thing, is her second feature film to debut in competition at the Sundance Film Festival following her 2021 Sundance hit, Playing with Sharks (Disney+). Following the remarkable life of maverick conservationist Valerie Taylor and her love affair with the ocean’s most terrifying predator, Playing with Sharks was named by The Hollywood Reporter as one of the 15 best films of the year. Sally’s debut feature, A Cinematic Life, about esteemed film critic David Stratton and his love affair with the movies, appeared in an official competition at the Cannes Film Festival in 2017. Sally was also nominated for the Camera d’Or. Other major works include directing The Pacific with Sam Neill, a 6-part television series with the actor and raconteur retracing Captain Cook’s voyages and the indigenous perspective on Cook’s impact. Her architectural films include Getting Frank Gehry (2015, BBC/ABC) with the iconoclast starchitect as well as Streets of Your Town (2016, ABC) for which Sally collected both the Australian Director’s Guild Award as well as the Australian Writer’s Award for Best Documentary series.
ABOUT TERRY MASEAR
(Participant)
Terry Masear has been running Los Angeles Hummingbird Rescue since 2004 and is the longest-practicing hummingbird rehabilitation expert in the country. Los Angeles Hummingbird Rescue receives five thousand calls each year and has been involved in the rehabilitation and release of 10,000 rescued hummingbirds in Southern California. The film Every Little Thing, based on Terry’s best-selling book, Fastest Things on Wings (2015), documents the trials and triumphs of a summer spent rehabilitating orphaned and injured hummingbirds in Los Angeles. The book has been featured by National Geographic, Here & Now, MSNBC, Los Angeles Times and Washington Post. Terry’s extensive rescue work has led to several remarkable discoveries about hummingbird breeding and nesting practices unknown to science. Terry received her PhD from UCLA and taught English as a Second Language and postgraduate research and writing at UCLA for twenty years.
The structure is a mix of real-time anxiety about the airing episodes, Rex’s extraordinary ballet training, and unresolved childhood trauma. After her first win, Lady Camden’s popularity skyrockets. But the film never lets us forget the immense work that goes into this art. 
Delving into family and friend dynamics is vital to Rex’s well-being. There is an unfiltered honesty that hits you square in the chest. Transitions are eye-catching animation sequences that also serve as explanations for any viewer unfamiliar with Drag Race. Nina West, a darling of the show’s legacy, narrates. It is the perfect pairing for Lady Camden and Rex. 
The film is beautifully shot and emotionally edited. There is love infused in making this film. A visceral joy of becoming who we always dreamed we’d be bursts off the screen. LADY LIKE is a must-see. 
Footage from those rescued from collapsed buildings, unimaginable loss, children caught in a tornado of violence, every film is immersive and visceral. The bravery and passion of the filmmakers are on full display. The viewing experience is heavy, inspiring, and vital, particularly for those who believe we should stop funding humanitarian efforts abroad. Amongst turmoil on American soil, we should thank our lucky stars for the privilege of honoring the ongoing courage, compassion, and unity of the Gazan people. FROM GROUND ZERO is a must-watch. 
IT’S COMING
Ashley can see and hear spirits. The physical and mental toll is obvious, despite her shockingly calm demeanor. She has become so accustomed to her circumstances, and not much ruffles her feathers, until she realizes how deep the negative energy goes.
Ashley brings in medium Soledad Haren to cleanse the apartment. She provides viewers with paranormal canon, reasons, and triggers for an uptick in activity. It is a solid checklist if you aren’t a connoisseur of this genre. Like clockwork, incidents get worse. An acrid odor pervades their apartment, so intense it triggers CO2 alarms and multiple fire department visits. Soledad returns with her spirit box and performs an automatic writing session, providing few answers and more questions.
A husband and wife team of demonologists, Chris and Harmony DeFlorio, arrive with all the electronic bells and whistles. We see their footage intercut with Shannon’s. The results are undeniably unsettling. This is the point where Ashley finally breaks. It is the first time we see her cry and become physically unwell. When you witness the effect on Chris and Harmony, your heart rate increases tenfold. The comparisons to England’s most infamous haunting, The Enfield Poltergeist, are inevitable.
Javier’s personality slowly changes throughout the long months of filming. He describes a growing friendship with the black entity he calls Kitty. If you know anything about the paranormal, you understand how dangerous this is. You can track what looks like disassociation creeping onto his face. Something is affecting this child, whether it’s his mother’s energy or something genuinely sinister is up to the viewer, but I’ve not been this disturbed by a paranormal documentary in a long time. The final scene will send a shiver down your spine. IT’S COMING will haunt your mind long after the credits roll. You’ll question everything.
THE HOUSE FROM
The editing is clever. For example, one former owner of Jesse’s house in Breaking Bad house was a teacher, so Avallone cuts to scenes of Walter White in his chemistry classroom. She was able to buy her son his first car from the profits of filming. On the opposite end of the spectrum, the current owner of Walter White’s house aggressively hates tourists.
THE HOUSE FROM counters this negative fan experience with the owner of The Goonies‘ home. Susan Preston got a bad rap. This redemptive story is authentically heartwarming. Bushnell Ave, in South Pasadena, is the ultimate film fan’s dream. From Back to the Future to Old School, it boasts several famous houses, and the owners love the fans. The Rubio House in Altadena is iconic. I lost track of the number of films and television shows listed by the owner, Liz. Ethan Embry visits the house, and his excitement and nostalgia are infectious.
The doc also uses TikTok and other social media clips of fan visits. The behind-the-scenes footage from Home Alone takes the cake. The lovely neighbors across the street took camcorder video from their front yard during the 1990 production, and it is a coup for Gen X and Millennials.
Stories from staff, families, and residents tell tales of daily transgressions that build over time, ranging from laundry, food choice, incontinence care, medication changes, falls, and worker burnout due to understaffing. The film utilizes beautiful, childlike drawings as transitions and storytelling devices. Cell phone videos of neglect will break your heart. Photos of resulting abuse may take your breath away.
Then COVID-19 and 2020 made things so much worse. Once their failures are exposed, the government protects nursing homes from lawsuits sighting the pandemic and loss of workers. In each case, once regulations appear, they apply only to staff and never to the corporations behind the individual homes. These workers are the essential piece of the puzzle between a new standard of care and honoring their relentless efforts to do the right thing. The film delves into racism, the reductive overview of the profession, the label “women’s work,” and how simple changes would make all the difference.
The corporate lawyers use vile tactics to diminish their role, often attacking the family members with shaming language. Melissa explains this by giving her clients mock cross-examination examples to emotionally prepare them for what is coming in litigation. Another way they try to determine litigation is to delay and then drown Melissa and her team in documents. By giving her the runaround, they hope she will give up. They don’t know Melissa Miller.
The personal connections between legislation and privatization will shock no one. STOLEN TIME lays it out for you. The systemic failure, profit over people, no regulatory oversight, long-term residents are unnecessarily suffering. STOLEN TIME is about accountability and justice. The goal is an overhaul of the system. When we say long-term care, the keyword should still be “Care.”
Shadowland’s initial 38 minutes drag with long, meandering shots, particularly of Iranon (“chaos magician) doing what I would lovingly refer to as “witchy shit.” As a self-professed spooky girl, I mean no disrespect by that term. Frankly, it’s narratively monotonous.
Stanley’s response is to call the women hysterical and spew conspiracy theories rather than take accountability for his actions. Iranon reenters the fray to detail when he discovers Richard’s allegations and their ensuing physical confrontation. It’s damning.
As a contrary view, Richard’s sycophant protege and priestess, Anaiya, believes that baptism will cleanse his past. Witnessing these women embrace him feels icky. It is challenging to know if her intentions are pure or an act. But Anaiya’s journey does not end there.
GIRL INTERNET SHOW: A KATI KELLI MIXTAPE
Kelli is a star. She has that sardonic wit you see in Aubrey Plaza. Frankly, if you told me they were blood relatives, I would accept that as fact. Also, it’s impossible to ignore how stunning she is.
The film ends with Kati’s short film, finished three days before her passing. The subject is both ironic and eerie. Going in with the understanding that Kati is no longer with us weighs heavy in the back of your mind. Knowing what a massive star she was and how much bigger she could have been leaves a sting, but GIRL INTERNET SHOW: A Kati Kelli Mixtape celebrates an artist in all her magnificence. It’s an unforgettable film. Kelli lives forever, an eternal celluloid angel. She flies.
VIKTOR
Viktor wants to be a soldier, but his deafness prevents it. His late father instilled “the military spirit,” and by Miyamoto Musashi’s canonical The Strategy of the Samurai, Viktor aspires to a noble warrior philosophy. Facing rejection after rejection, he finally convinces the local army to take him on as a volunteer field photographer. This opportunity to pursue his talent changes his path forever.
One of the most harrowing stories I’ve seen featured in a short film comes from BriGuel‘s HOW I ROLL. This 13-minute emotional rollercoaster is an eye-opening tale of resilience. Robin Cohen lives with MS, navigating Miami, Manhattan, and a family history of shocking violence, loss, and great love. 
BriGuel beautifully edits Cohen’s innermost thoughts, one on top of the other in the most organic way, mimicking the chaos of our mind’s intrusive thoughts. With an abundance of home videos and footage of Robin’s daily life and love story, HOW I ROLL introduces the world to a woman who inspires us to love, laugh, and live life to its fullest despite what might feel like insurmountable odds. Eternal positivity and perseverance are the beauty of life.
Give me all the cheeses. It’s a phrase I should embroider on a pillow in my home. We have an entire drawer dedicated to cheese in our refrigerator. Spending two years in New Haven, my husband and I had the privilege of eating at a restaurant called Caseus (RIP). Their famous five-cheese grilled sandwich was a taste bud revelation. Tribeca 2024 documentary SHELF LIFE is tailor-made for cheese freaks such as myself.
The reservation has its own justice system, under which not a single white man has been prosecuted in connection to a disappearance. Families must rely on the Feds to intervene. They never do. It is endless, lawless mayhem. 
A quote from a manual given to households when children the government was ripping from their homes reads, “The goal is not to make scientists, or doctors or lawyers out of these citizens. The goal is to make domestic housewives and farmers and laborers.” Keeping the population suppressed remains the goal. It’s cyclical genocide. It is the continuation of colonization, plain and simple. 
Yale’s Class of 97′ boasted the largest admission of black students in the university’s history. Filmmakers John Antonio James and Bill Mack bring Tribeca 2024 BLACK TABLE, a documentary that delves into the complexities of learning, thriving, and simply existing within a predominantly white Ivy environment and beyond. 
There is no escaping the discussion of Affirmation Action, and filmmakers fully understand it. We delve into the racist talking points that thrive today in diminishing accomplishments and a sense of belonging. An explosive incident at Naples forced Yale and its student body to confront the reality of being black on campus. Rodney King changed the name of the game from a student action standpoint. Then O.J. Simpson’s trial reignited cultural tension.
Nowadays, if you can find an operating mall, you might still come across an AS SEEN ON TV store. A small display remains at Bed, Bath, and Beyond locations. Back in the 1950s, Atlantic City was the hub of Pitchmen. Future American celebrities like Ed McMahon, of Star Search fame, began on the boardwalk. 
Between local television spots and fairgrounds, pitching products was (and still is) a lucrative career. Only the best survive and put bundles of cash in their pockets. In a world of MLMs, this intimate energy exchange is the oldest truck in the book, and it works. The modern version comes in the form of TikTok influencers, but those 10-30-second uploads have nothing on the original masters.
One of the most surprising aspects of dementia is the unfiltered confessions of an exhausted brain. Kathy is an open book, always willing to share her innermost thoughts with Max on camera. Max is an angel in her presence. His unconditional love and relentless patience are the things we can only hope to instill in our children. And because he is the primary caretaker, he must suffer the brunt of Kathy’s sporadic disdain. 
Delving into the science behind the rise and cause of Alzheimer’s is fascinating. Food is a 
Director Jennifer Takaki includes sweet animation sporadically playing under Corky’s narration. The film mixes personal footage and stills from Corky, the camera always in hand on the streets of Chinatown, old news interviews, and scenes of his relentless kindness towards the younger generation of aspiring photographers. 
PHOTOGRAPHIC JUSTICE: THE CORKY LEE STORY comes at a time in American history when Asian hate crime continues its uptick. Logging the cyclical violence and ignorance of the general population is vital to understanding the importance of the film. 
For 26 seasons, Reading Rainbow met young viewers in their living rooms, whisking them away on far-off adventures into the boundless world of books. Inspiring and nostalgic, Butterfly in the Sky takes audiences behind the scenes of this beloved PBS children’s series and tells the story of its iconic host LeVar Burton, giving an inside look at the challenges he and the show’s creators faced in cultivating a love of reading through television. Reliving the show’s legacy is a refreshing return to the written page. But you don’t have to take our word for it.
Fast fashion and exploitation. The popular teen brand Brandy Melville comes under the microscope in a new documentary feature premiering at SXSW 2024 Brandy Hellville & the Cult of Fast Fashion. In the film, former employees discuss how they got hired, the company’s everyday practices, and the fallout of their exposure.
Alison Tavel sets off on a global journey to learn more about her estranged father’s mysterious invention and, ultimately, the man himself. 
Ali’s ability to disassociate makes sense. As a child of divorce when I was five years old, few memories remain. My father, like Ali’s, is still a stranger. She wrestles with differing opinions of who Don was. So many questions arise during her search. What the hell is a Resynator anyway? With all the hype surrounding its invention, why didn’t it blow up? Did depression play a part in Don’s accident? 
Danny Madden’s animation transitions are charming. We experience them alongside archival audio of Don demonstrating the Resynator. Ali utilizes a unique device in narrating the film in the form of a letter to her father, which makes more sense when a box arrives from her aunt. Her most poignant discovery comes in the form of long-lost letters from her father, found in the basement after the passing of her grandmother. 
You must be logged in to post a comment.