PLANET SPARROW

Ben is a sparrow in the Soukh in Cairo. Bushy and tousled, he flits between crowded stalls to build his nest and attract a mate. He's one of five heroes of «Planet Sparrow». Their adventures cover the world, travelling westward with the sun from Cairo to Vienna, Paris, New York, Beijing and Moscow.

Small and grey-brown, sparrows may seem dull, but this first impression is deceptive. They sing as prettily as canaries and can imitate other birds - even machines!  They're extremely clever, dunking dry bread and rice in water to eat, and learning to open milk cans by watching other birds. Their insect-hunting skills are breathtaking. The camera pursues these artists of flight through narrow alleys, revealing their spectacular aerial manoeuvres.
In Paris centuries of living with humans has taught them to form teams that steal and share the food of restaurant diners. In New York, orphaned sparrow chicks are adopted by new sparrow parents. The birds play Russian Roulette in Moscow, flying beneath the cars on the busiest roads to save winter energy.

«Planet Sparrow» is a documentary about these flying survival artists, their neighbours and adversaries, all photographed from the perspective of the birds, as well!