Beneranda sits quietly, treating her knee with medicinal leaves. Meanwhile, David rubs his skin with herbal lotion. The birds sing morning songs, and Isidro begins spraying the crops in his garden. Three little goats come out of their shed, the last with Beneranda. She calls to the other goats who follow her lead. David listens, and as the birds sing to him, he seems to understand their call. Beneranda ties her goats to a firm tree, and they feast on the abundance around them. Isidro eats a banana and lays down to rest. As his eyes close, images flicker, featuring the textures of their skin. This skin becomes trees, then branches, and gradually, more sounds of life join in the symphony. The Whisper of the Leaves is a careful and tender meditation on the interconnectivity between the human spirit and other forms of life.
The Whisper of the Leaves screens as part of our Ghosts & Apparitions strand in the 2021 Sheffield DocFest programme.
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