Birds of Passage

It's Cathy's 10th birthday, and her parents both want to do something extra-special for their thoughtful and caring daughter. Her mother, who tends to be practical and cautious, throws a traditional party and gives Cathy a cellphone; her quirky dad gives her an egg, instructing her that she must be there to witness it hatch. However, during a birthday game of hide-and-seek, it's Cathy's friend Margaux who sees the egg open to reveal a tiny duckling. Though the newborn baby bird immediately thinks she is its mother, Margaux's parents will not let her keep it because they believe that her wheelchair will limit her ability to care for it. Fearing for the duckling's fate at a breeding farm -- a place known disingenuously as "bird paradise" -- Margaux and Cathy resolve to set the young animal free. Director Olivier Ringer's film is a heartwarming and realistic portrayal of a journey, in which two friends overcome physical and emotional barriers to truly experience freedom for the first time in their lives.