Directed by Thomas Balmes, Babies is a unique film that documents four newborns on their journey from initial birth to that coveted first birthday. Ponijao, Hattie, Mari, and Bayar are each from a different region of the world, showing their various cultures and upbringings. Balmes worked for over two years, carrying nothing but a tripod and a camera, wanting to capture his subjects in their natural habitat. Along the way he witnessed many milestones, all of which help signify human uniqueness.
The overall look of the movie was very simple. Most shots were nothing more than the baby and some part of their surroundings. The parents play only a small role, and in the case of Ponijao and Bayar, we never see their father. Leaving the babies to their own devices made for some very aww-worthy moments. From sibling rivalry to their interaction with animals, these babies make even simple things entertaining.
When I think of babies I often associate screaming and crying, yet throughout the 79- minute feature we were only witness to two such instances: one occured at the very beginning of the film, and was caused by a sibling argument, and the other was a cute tantrum that Mari had over a toy that wouldn't cooperate. I find it hard to believe that over two years and 400 hours of film that Balmes and his crew were not witness to more screaming and crying, but crying isn't as adorable as a thirsty goat interrupting bath time.
Without narration or any dialogue, Babies relies on the viewer to infer the majority of the facts. The only introduction to the babies was in the form of a text announcing where they live and their names. This can easily lead to confusion for the viewer; I, for instance, was under the impression that Ponijao, the baby from Namibia, was a boy when if fact she was a girl.
This film might not be for everyone; it is clearly targeted to moms, which is apparent in its mother's day weekend release. The greatest strength of Babies is that it refrains from judging any of the parenting skills or cultural differences and allows the viewer to marvel at the beauty of the world as seen through the babies eyes. It wasn't perfect, but understanding its purpose, there is simply no reason not to applaud Balmes for a job well done!
