The film, “Babies”, by Thomas Balmes revolves around four newborns from all over the globe and their first year in the world. Hattie from San Francisco, U. S and Mari from Tokyo, Japan are two girls who live in urban areas. Ponijao from Namibia, a village in Southwest Africa, and Bayar from Bayanchandmani, Mongolia are two boys who live in particularly rural areas. This documentary shows the comparison of each culture without any narration, leaving it up to the viewer on interpreting the film. The film opens up with the way these babies are introduced into the world. Before delivery in a hut, Ponijao’s mother rubs red pigment all over her belly as some sort of ritual tradition of birth giving and Hattie is being delivered in a hospital with
