CAVEBIRDS

Filmmaker Emily Gan films her father, Howard, as he takes on an unusual project: returning to his home village in Malaysia to build a habitat for swiftlets. The birds’ nests, made from their saliva, are a delicacy in Chinese cuisine. Howard hopes to leave a legacy for his descendants, but will the birds come? Cavebirds explores a father-daughter relationship, links between family and tradition, and issues around migration. Gan takes us inside her soft-spoken father’s world, with scenes of family life, interviews and poetic visions captured on bird farms. A poignant film that heralds the emergence of a talented young filmmaker.