Sundance 2024: As We Speak, Every Little Thing, Love Machina | Festivals & Awards

The camera zeroes in on the magnificence of the birds. They gloriously fly, flirt and regain the will to live, while in the “paradise” of the hummingbird rehabilitation sanctuary. The female hummingbirds, described as loyal, strong and maternal, pair tastefully next to Terry’s aura, as she pats their back.

Terry talks about her life with her “genius” husband, gaining numerous graduate degrees, and finally falling in love with the birds. She describes America as the land of dreams, and questionably snickers at her dream choice. She damns people for being self-centered in their handling of wildlife, after receiving a featherless hummingbird. 

“Their attitude towards nature (is not to my standard),” Terry roars. Although Terry grew up in rural Wisconsin, where “hard work” is the main personality trait and farming is the main industry, she does not deem it a nurturing environment. The juxtaposition of being raised in a nature-filled place, but not garnering a nurturing relationship with nature in that place is upheld in the documentary through Terry’s perspective. She points out that she was not “big on trust” because of where she grew up. Terry reinforces trust within herself by building secure homes for her hummingbirds, feeding them with care, and building their strength to explore the world on their own. A slow-paced and vibrant documentary, “Every Little Thing” will give you a perfect calm before a nap on a Sunday afternoon. 

Finally, “Love Machina” encompasses immortality, race, interracial relationships, trans identification and the defeat of life-threatening sickness in one documentary. Martine and Bina (Marbina), a couple of 40 years, have a shared goal to “stay in love forever.” They create a robot named Bina48 that holds a data diary of Bina’s interests, including the love of her partner. Together, the couple created a foundation inspired by Octavia Butlers “earthseed,” called “Terasem,” that serves as a hub for immortal-based innovation. The purpose of the foundation is to take DNA and to create consciousness through technology. The cult-like documentary may be feared by some, but the overall idea is a peak interest point for today’s artificial intelligence fanatics. 

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