This Short Film Teaches You The Charm Of Being Different

“For the birds” is a fantastic short film. It’s just a few minutes of funny charm, where you’ll be introduced to a bunch of fifteen annoying, annoying little birds that will make you chuckle. You will laugh even more when they meet a somewhat strange bird.

If you have kids, don’t hesitate to let them enjoy this video too. It was created by Pixar in the year 2000 and  directed by Ralph Eggleston, a well-known name in the world of animation who has worked on well-known films  such as “Up”, “Toy Story”, “Wall-E” and “Finding Nemo” .

“For the birds” is a metaphor for life itself. We are dealing with a community of birds inhabiting a power line, but it could just as easily be a human community or a school classroom, where being different is a source of ridicule and criticism.

Our protagonist is a bit of an odd bird. He has long legs, a long neck and his voice sounds different from that of the fifteen little birds. Our bird is of a different kind and, like everyone else, is looking for a place where it feels at home.

But, as we all know, being different can sometimes be a problem. The strange, tall bird is trying very hard.

The art of being different and the effort to be the same

In the opening scene there are a number of similar birds on the power cable. They chirp to each other and make a lot of noise, organizing themselves in place almost in military style. They’re like teenagers insisting they all look the same or colleagues in the office forming cliques.

In life we ​​come across many situations that are similar to what we see in this video. The arrival of an “outsider” revolutionizes the community of that high school class, that block of neighbors or that city.

Our fifteen little birds are startled by the arrival of that large, strange bird. Far from integrating him, far from responding to his friendly greeting, these threatening-eyed little conspirators begin to emit a deafening squeak.

But we all know that sometimes it’s better to be criticized for being different than to become like everyone else, like those who rejected or ignored us.

You are often seen as a threat if you are different,  because it means that we doubt the typical way of life, which often gives us a sense of control and security.

It’s no problem to be different. The problem lies with the others who refuse to accept other perspectives  and who refuse to enrich themselves with something that is not the same as them. Being different gives us the opportunity to enjoy being authentic and unique, something not many people can be proud of.

The best thing about “For the birds” is the attitude of our protagonist. The way the strange, slender bird confronts the group of noisy little birds, who look at its presence on the power line with great suspicion.

He remains cheerful; this is its charm and its strength. That friendly smile is curious and even tender at times, because when faced with a group of unfriendly and negative creatures, the only force that works is kindness and goodness.

He does not give up. It doesn’t bother him that none of the birds return his greeting. He doesn’t care that they don’t make room for him on the cable. Our protagonist perseveres and resists  and instead of slowly trying to break the ice, he chooses to sit in the middle of the birds.

His audacity degenerates into a wave of criticism, whispers, annoying and cute reactions that make you laugh. The result is one of Pixar’s most epic films. He also received the Oscar for the best animated short film in 2001  as well as an Annie Award and a nomination at the Sitges Festival.

Sometimes our efforts to be everything and be equal and the same can leave us naked in our own shortcomings. Something that doesn’t happen with authentic people, where you are special when you are different. “For the Birds” is a metaphor for exactly this.