Joanna Kos-Krauze and Krzysztof Krauze’s film starts in 1994—one of the darkest times in African history. After the Rwandan president’s airplane is shot down in Kigali, violent unrest breaks out between the Tutsi and Hutu tribes. In the course of 100 days of pogroms, approximately 1,000,000 people are murdered by extremists. Anna is a witness to these events—she’s a Polish ornithologist who came to Africa to research a drop in the population of vultures in Rwanda. When the genocide starts, she saves a Tutsi girl named Claudine from death and takes her to Poland. When they first arrive, they try to put the nightmarish experience behind them, but falling back into the routine of everyday life seems impossible. After a couple of years Claudine decides to go back to her homeland, and since a close bond has been established between them, Anna decides to join her in this deeply emotional journey to the heart of Africa. The Krauzes have always been interested in outsiders, as exemplified in Mój Nikifor (My Nikifior) and Papusza. This film is no different; in fact this time both lead characters (brilliantly portrayed by Jowita Budnik and Eliane Umuhire) fit the mold. The subject matter and the filmmaking style come together to make Birds… an emotionally engaging tale of trauma, grief and ultimately the ability to forgive.