Every Little Thing

Written and directed by Sally Aitken, Every Little Thing is an intimate and moving documentary focused on author and rehabber Terry Masear, who wants to save every injured hummingbird in Los Angeles.

Every Little Thing is not a story of grand achievements. It is about learning to love on the scale of centimeters, to imbue the greatest significance in the smallest bodies, to wait patiently as a battered bird musters the confidence to make one more flight. 

‘Every Little Thing’ is a potent celebration of compassion, beauty and resilience. If you or anyone you know needs proof that the entire human race isn’t beyond redemption, may I suggest a screening of Sally Aitken’s documentary Every Little Thing.

All of us living in battered, unbowed Los Angeles could use a dose of the restorative right about now. Sally Aitken’s documentary “Every Little Thing” offers just that, giving us a glimpse of some small-scale repair work that bursts with compassion.

“Every Little Thing” is not only a triumph in nature documentary filmmaking; it is an ode to the deep connections human beings have with nature and what we can learn about ourselves through learning about other creatures. 

There is something truly beautiful in what Terry does, and Aitken captures it all with warmth and sincerity. Almost as if to balance out the speed with which a hummingbird moves, the film asks the audience to slow down, to appreciate the world around us. 

Terry Masear, star of the new documentary Every Little Thing, has been fielding many calls about the birds, but says not to worry—most will be okay. It's the callers who are hurting.

“Almost as if to balance out the speed with which a hummingbird moves, the film asks the audience to slow down, to appreciate the world around us.”

“It's such a sweet film, but also a very emotional one at times.”

Central to this mystery are the film’s breathtaking close-ups of the hummingbirds...The sublime beauty of such images (captured by wildlife cinematographer Ann Johnson Prum) contrasts with the grainy footage of Masear’s past. But the two styles work in tandem, too, reaching across time and texture to forge a cinematic connection, tracing a journey from human pain to transcendence found in the otherworldly flight of a bird.

The documentary about a Los Angeles woman who has made it her life’s mission to rehabilitate injured hummingbirds has a gentle sweetness that feels like a balm. Terry Masear, the subject of writer-director Sally Aitken’s film, has a no-nonsense demeanor, but her affection for these tiny creatures is unmistakable. 

The highlight for many will be the extensive slow-motion footage of hummingbirds in their element. It often looks fake because of how impossible the steady-cam nature of their bodies are while their wings flap away. 

it’s gorgeously shot, and the hummingbirds all have interesting stories as Masea nurses them back to health. I think any animal lover will enjoy Aitken’s film, even if it’s very California.

I saw Sally Aitken’s beautiful documentary Every Little Thing at Sundance last year and it had me at the Albert Hammond needle drop, grabbed my heart with all the sweet birds, and then proceeded to absolutely wreck me.

Masear is a terrific documentary subject, but the hummingbirds are as well, and Aitken brings them close to us. Slow-motion shows their extraordinary wings in action and also reveals what Masear sees: individual personalities (birdinalities?) and quirks. The hummingbirds sometimes seem to be looking straight into the camera, fearless and free.

The birds would seem to be the stars of director Sally Aitken's Every Little Thing, a documentary about an independent hummingbird rescue in Hollywood run by one determined woman. She's Terry Masear, a retired teacher who seems to have educated herself on everything one would need to or could know about hummingbirds. She has been rescuing the tiny creatures since 2004 without any pay for her work. Yes, the birds are special, but Masear isn't too far behind them.

All of this is captured in Sally Aitken’s beautiful documentary Every Little Thing, which aims not only to hold a magnifying glass to the small birds most people rarely think about but also to understand why caring for these creatures can make better people of us all.

Sally Aitken’s documentary “Every Little Thing” literally generates buzz, and both those with a fondness for hummingbirds and those who never much thought about them are bound to be enchanted by its depiction of these tiny, fragile creatures.

Director Sally Aitken showcases the profound lessons tiny birds impart about kindness and hope in a new documentary...The lessons the hummingbirds impart on Masear about struggle, death and success teach us humans about patience, hope and compassion. And Masear’s kindness — she is, after all, a volunteer — is an act of greatness. 

Every Little Thing has a loose structure without melodrama and emotional manipulation, convincing us to simply relax, observe, and be delighted by unexpected moments of meaning. The film is partially a character study of Terry Masear, whose acclaimed book about her work, Fastest Things on Wings: Rescuing Hummingbirds in Hollywood, inspired the film. Masear has had one of those long and interesting lives that beg for dramatizations, but the film is wisely elliptical with her story.

Every Little Thing uses a combination of digital and film images, including what appears to be faux-16mm footage—a dynamic visual scheme that may look random but feels organic.

Every Little Thing, directed by Sally Aitken, and opening January 10, 2025 (NY) and January 17 (LA), seeks to awaken our attention to the kind of divine evanescence and moment-to-moment splendor embodied by hummingbirds themselves. Appreciation for the present moment, Terry claims, is one of the greatest lessons humans can learn from any animal.

Along with the fascinating story of a woman’s symbiotic relationship with these tiny birds, EVERY LITTLE THING is a cinematically stunning film with incredible closeups of hummingbirds and breathtaking time lapse photography of exotic, colorful flowers. Kudos to the photographic team!...I highly recommend seeing this film! 

Every Little Thing – Kino Lorber (Cinemas) – Australia – Documentary written and directed by Sally Aitken. A woman in Hollywood cares for injured hummingbirds, experiencing personal growth as she witnesses their fragility and resilience.

Aitken doesn’t skimp on incredible, immersive hummingbird footage, all bright colors and fast-flapping wings, quick little tails, shining pinprick eyes. Hummingbirds are so delicate, so feather-light, so special, it’s easy to see why Terry has dedicated her later life to saving them.

Kino Lorber has acquired North American rights to Every Little Thing, Sally Aitken’s documentary about a hummingbird rehabilitator that premiered in Sundance and has gone on to play multiple festivals including CPH:DOX.

Sally Aitken’s latest documentary is a miraculous, astonishing glimpse into the work of Terry Masear at her Los Angeles hummingbird rehab center. 

The rare film that can work as both education tool and emotional experience.

Inspired by Terry Masear’s book about her work with the world's smallest birds, Sally Aitken’s documentary follows her during a busy caretaking season in Los Angeles.

You probably don’t love hummingbirds as much as Terry Masear does, but the exceedingly graceful, beautifully photographed documentary Every Little Thing will help change that.

There is an especially delightful, humble, rejuvenating documentary film that recently premiered at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival that is all about hummingbirds. 

A celebration of some of our tiniest and most magical creatures

Serene footage of hummingbirds mid-flight make Every Little Thing worth screening. The story of the woman who cares for these adorable creatures is another good reason to see it.