These Birds Walk

These Birds Walk, released in 2012 and directed by Omar Mullick and Bassam Tariq, is an evocative testament to compassion, resilience, and the indomitable human spirit. It provides a poignant portrait of life in Karachi, Pakistan, as seen through the eyes of the city's most vulnerable residents: its street children. Starring Shehr Ali, Qayyum Bhai, and featuring Abdul Sattar Edhi, the film is a cinematic experience that deftly explores the struggles and aspirations of its vivid characters.

Set against the raw, unforgiving backdrop of Pakistan's teeming metropolis, These Birds Walk navigates between the inspiring work of the Edhi Foundation, a Philanthropic organization involved in wide-ranging social welfare programs across the country, and the personal stories of the people it serves. It magnifies an authentic snapshot of the narrow streets and bustling lifestyles of Karachi, offering a rare look at the side of Pakistan seldom portrayed in mainstream media.

Central to the narrative is the restless and rebellious child, Omar, played by Shehr Ali, who becomes a window into the world of Karachi's street children. Omar's individual story of distress, longing, and perseverance materializes as a microcosm of the struggles shared by countless children like him. Caught away from his native home, his vulnerabilities, braveness, and constant pursuit of freedom from the suffocating realities of the streets captures the audiences with intense emotion.

Herding these lost souls towards safer roads is the altruistic Qayyum Bhai, played by himself. He works as an ambulance driver for the Edhi Foundation, but his role extends far beyond that. He often finds himself involved in rescuing and taking care of street children. His harsh exterior and hardened heart slowly peel layers revealing a tender past, where his own experiences of loneliness and stigma enlighten his ceaseless endeavors to uplift the lost children.

A shadow that looms large throughout the film is of Abdul Sattar Edhi, the revered founder of the Edhi Foundation. Described as "the world's greatest living humanitarian" by The Huffington Post, Edhi’s few appearances are stirred with wisdom and humility, leaving a deep imprint. His belief in the divine residing within each individual and his dreams of liberating the oppressed give the narrative a profound humanitarian dimension.

The filmmakers employ a cinema verité approach, combining observational, non-intrusive filming with stunning cinematography. This allows the children's stories to unfold organically, steering clear of any sense of artificial manipulation. Throughout the narrative, the streets of Karachi come to life with a distinct energy: a blend of chaos and order, despair and hope, hardship and joy. The film further complements its striking visuals with a hauntingly beautiful soundtrack that provokes sentimentality.

Despite the harsh realities it portrays, These Birds Walk is not a film about despair. Instead, it's a humanistic exploration of resilience, highlighting the children's ability to adapt, survive, and even thrive in adverse conditions. It portrays how, even while wrestling with life's hardest blows, these children manage to find moments of genuine happiness and companionship amongst themselves. It captures the children as they are: spirited, resilient, determined - attributes that give the film its metamorphic title.

These Birds Walk is not merely a documentary about the street children of Karachi; it's a deeply felt reflection on childhood, loss, and the search for one's identity in the world. It's about navigating spaces of utter despair but also discovering the small islands of hope, compassion, and humanity hiding within this despair. It takes the viewers on a powerful, soul-stirring journey that is both intimate and sweeping in its scope.

In essence, the film encapsulates the spirit and the harrowing reality of street children in Karachi, dwelling into their world with empathy, not sympathy. It portrays the complicated relation between survival and childhood, between the strains of life and the innocent play, the intertwining of which shapes these children. These Birds Walk takes us on an unforgettable journey into a paradoxical world of despair and hope, survival and dreams, leaving us deeply moved and eternally altered.