WaterBear Teams with Classical Artist Ludovico Einaudi

WaterBear Network and Studio Birthplace have teamed with classical composer Ludovico Einaudi for Broken Wings, a new short on the consequences of the pet industry and bird poaching.

The film harnesses the ability of classical music to transcend language barriers to inform viewers of how bird poaching has decimated biodiversity all over the world. The short follows the stories of birds from being captured in the wild to ending up in a cage as someone’s pet.

The team behind the film conducted extensive on-the-ground research. They followed a real bird poacher for several days and filmed in three wildlife markets. It was filmed over a period of seven days. The birds that were preached while filming were released back into the wild at the end of the shoot.

Broken Wings is now available exclusively on WaterBear Network. To tie in with the release, Indonesia-based NGO Thrive Conservation compiled a report on the wild bird trade in Southeast Asia for viewers who want to learn more, and the short encourages viewers to stop caging wild birds and donate to the NGO.

Einaudi, one of the highest streamed classical pianists of all time, previously brought attention to the protection of the Arctic Ocean.

“Music has the ability to transcend language barriers and connect with people on a deep emotional level, raising awareness on important issues and having a positive impact on the world,” Einaudi said. “With nearly half of the world’s wild bird species in decline, and one in eight at risk of extinction, we must stop the trafficking of wild birds. Let’s leave them free, let’s keep them out of cages.”

Sam Sutaria, CEO of WaterBear, added, “This film explores the line between fascination and destruction and how the pet industry can lead to the devastation of ecosystems around the world. We’re so excited to work with the esteemed Ludovico Einaudi to bring this issue to life—raising greater awareness around the threat we are causing to biodiversity and animal extinction is vital right now. Through the universal power of music and film, Broken Wings captures the innate beauty of wild birds and the fatal suffering being inflicted on them.”