Bichinhos de Estimação

From the cute, genuine kids commenting on their own pets to the adults that work with rescuing and rehabilitating them, my wife and I both found ourselves deeply moved by the passion and heartfelt commitment to animals on display. The piece on Japan was wonderful, showing how much we are tied to the lives and spirits of our pets as we age together. The falconer was inspiring beyond measure with his words on the divine nature of animals and the healing power they bring. And of course the couple who rehab and care for farm animals who otherwise have no chance at living demonstrates the reward and heartache inherent in caring for these creatures. Give it a watch and open yourself to love.

One of the cool things about this film had to do with how many different age groups it was created for. There were interviews with preschoolers, senior citizens, and everyone in-between those age groups, too. This mean that the storytelling worked on multiple levels depending on how closely a viewer could pay attention and how much they already knew about this world. It is not easy to create something that everyone can enjoy, so kudos to the director and crew for pulling it off!

This documentary bounced around quite a bit between various people and their pets. As much as I liked seeing so many different types of animals and people from a wide variety of backgrounds, it was tricky for me as a viewer to feel deeply connected to any of them due to how little screen time they all received. I would have loved to see a smaller number of folks be interviewed so more time could be spent exploring their connections with their furry - or sometimes not so furry - companions.

Every aspect of owning a pet was covered here, from the naughty things they sometimes do to how families help pets who are sick, injured, or elderly. I laughed and cried as I watched this as the people who were being interviewed talked about both the difficult and joyful parts of sharing their lives with one or more animals. Some of my favorite scenes were the ones that explored the quirks certain pets had, from licking doorknobs to getting a little jealous if someone else received more attention than they did. It was a delightful exploration of what life is like when you live with animals.

Pets was heartwarming.