While climbing a birdwatching tower in Finland, I wondered: we build towers, photograph birds, and use them as symbols but do we truly understand them? This film, shot over 7 weeks around Helsinki, reimagines birds from a more-than-human perspective.

The title’s phrase “watching birds” combines the verb 观 (guān), meaning “to observe,” and the noun 鸟 (niǎo), meaning “bird.” Interestingly, 观 breaks down into 又 (yòu) and 见 (jiàn), meaning “meet again.” I hope this film encourages a fresh perspective on birds and nature, things we often think we know.

The background music, played on ancient Chinese instruments, mirrors humanity’s early efforts to imitate bird songs, connecting us to nature without using actual bird sounds.