If going in, you did not know that “Hummingbirds” was a documentary, you would readily believe that it was a naturalistically performed indie film. It’s a credit to the film’s loose structure, absence of didacticism, and multitude of incidents that it can easily pass off as fiction. The filmmakers in this case are also the subjects of the film – Silvia, 18, a child of undocumented immigrants to the United States, and Beba, 21, an undocumented immigrant herself. Together, they spend a last lazy summer together before life and employment will drive them apart. That Silvia & Beba are real people with real concerns and dreams elevates “Hummingbirds” from a narrative feature to a luminous, revealing self-portrait.
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“Hummingbirds” is set in Laredo, Texas, and derives a lot of color and vigor from the location. Its proximity to the U.S.-Mexico border also underpins the immigration uncertainty that afflicts Silvia and Beba. Both have been deported in the past, and during the movie, filmed in 2019, Beba is still waiting for her papers. That feeling of being on the outside looking in, of being othered and never completely belonging, informs our understanding of our subjects and their activist spirit.
Over 77 breezy minutes, we follow Silvia and Beba’s quotidian adventures. They write and perform songs, film dance videos, visit a bingo game, watch fireworks and buy tamales and funyuns, go clubbing and bowling, sneak into empty apartments, and hang out near the border. It is a gentle summer romp, the female & queer equivalent of a “bromance.” Silvia and Beba’s desire to drive change is also emergent and depicted with a light touch as an extension of their personality.
They hold up placards saying, “Border Patrol are serial killers,” as ICE vehicles pass by. They change a yard saying “Pray to end abortion” to “Pray for legal abortion.” Silvia, at a community center, delivers a pro-choice presentation. And they mock chant “Accept our local gays” at night in lieu of an official pride parade in the city. They lay down the charge “Last one is a Republican” when they race each other on the road. Their activism is informed by personal experiences. Both Silvia and Beba have had abortions, their best friend Jeffrey is trans, and Silvia uses they/them pronouns. To the movie’s credit, it is still a diverting hangout movie, not bogged down by any overt messaging.
Gen Z teens and ex-teens filming their lives isn’t exactly novel. With a legitimate instrument of cinematic production, the iPhone, in everyone’s pocket, TikTok, YouTube, and Instagram are littered with day-in-the-life videos or vlogs. Everyone’s a filmmaker, as they say, and even the aesthetics of many of these videos are comparable to professional productions. Any number of “content creators” could edit a feature-length film together with the footage they have shot. What sets “Hummingbirds” apart is its painterly, widescreen, magic-hour cinematography that shows an eye for composition and its fluid edit that shows a genuine tact for pacing & story-telling. The concept of performance is barely distinguishable from the act of living these days, as being filmed in one capacity or another is ubiquitous. Silvia and Beba yet manage to bring an element of intimacy that makes us invest in their lives and stories.
The manner in which “Hummingbirds” is produced is also of interest and presents a very successful template for a certain kind of filmmaking. Our subjects and co-directors, Silvia Del Carmen Castaños and Estefanía “Beba” Contreras, were supported by a team of more experienced producers and filmmakers. Everybody on the production – from the composers to editors to cinematographers to the producers – was playing multiple roles and, in essence, getting hands-on experience about how films, at least non-fiction films, are made. It was a controlled environment and a creative sandbox that allowed Silvia and Beba to explore themselves and their vision in a safe manner. The wisdom of this approach is apparent in the obvious merits of the end product. This mode of nurturing new voices could yield similarly great results if the powers that be choose to adopt it. [B]