Liminal home
by Iines Lahtinen
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鈥檚 phrase 鈥渨atching birds鈥 combines the verb 瑙 (gu膩n), meaning 鈥渢o observe,鈥 and the noun 楦 (ni菐o), meaning 鈥渂ird.鈥 Interestingly, 瑙 breaks down into 鍙 (y貌u) and 瑙 (ji脿n), meaning 鈥渕eet again.鈥 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鈥檚 early efforts to imitate bird songs, connecting us to nature without using actual bird sounds.