Babies (film)
| Company type | Documentary film |
|---|---|
| Industry | Film |
| Founded | 2010 |
| Founder | Thomas Balmès |
| Products | Documentary film |
Babies, alternatively titled Baby(ies) and Bébé(s), is a 2010 French documentary film directed by Thomas Balmès. It chronicles the first year of life for four infants from distinct cultural and geographic settings: Ponijao from a rural area in Opuwo, Namibia, Bayarjargal (Bayar) hailing from the countryside of Bayanchandmani, Mongolia, as well as Mari, an urban infant from Tokyo, Japan, and Hattie, who lives in San Francisco, U.S.. The movie was distributed in the United States by Focus Features on May 7, 2010.
Summary
The film presents a cross-cultural examination of childbirth and early development without any voiceover, enabling the audience to interpret the scenes independently. It begins with Ponijao’s delivery inside a simple hut, where her mother decorates her pregnant belly with red ochre. Conversely, Hattie is depicted in a Western neonatal intensive care unit surrounded by sophisticated medical devices. Bayar’s birth takes place in a hospital before he returns home with his family via motorcycle to their rural residence. Additional sequences depict Mari’s irritation with a toy, Hattie’s disinterest during organized playtime, Bayar bathing near a goat sharing the same water source, and Ponijao involved in sibling disputes.
This visual narrative emphasizes the contrasts in early childhood settings and parenting methods across both developing and developed regions.
Reception
Babies garnered mostly favorable critiques, achieving a 69% approval rating based on ninety-one reviews on Rotten Tomatoes. The general consensus praises it as "a joyous celebration of humankind filled with endearing visuals," while noting it "lacks deeper insight." On Metacritic, it holds a score of sixty-three. Owen Gleiberman from Entertainment Weekly rated it a "B," describing it as an audience-friendly film, whereas Katey Rich of Cinema Blend referred to it as "brilliantly simple."
Box office
At its peak U.S. distribution, the documentary was shown in 543 theaters, earning $7.32 million domestically. International revenues added $2.9 million, culminating in an approximate global total of $10.2 million.