Feathers to the Sky

This is a wonderful little film and it is very reminiscent of the Oscar-nominated short BINTA AND THE GREAT IDEA--though I actually preferred FEATHERS TO THE SKY. When I saw it was funded by the United Nations, I was cynical based on the organization's track record, but this film really is an excellent film about a topic that the UN should be championing--the need for children to be children and go to school.

The short movie is interesting because there is very little dialog and the viewer is forced to pay attention. A little girl and what appears to be her grandfather or very, very poor and they collect, dye and sell pampas grass to be used as dusters. He does the cutting and dying and she is forced to sell them all day long to survive. It really is heart-breaking to see this beautiful little girl working for practically nothing while her peers all attend a local public school.

How all this is worked out is very clever and will probably leave you feeling good. It's an optimistic and clever little film that might just change your outlook on life on this crazy planet.