Flying Jewels

Flying Jewels (dir. Matte Hewitt, 2024)

Total Run Time: 10:00 (I may add 1 or 2 minutes to the end)

HD video, stereo, color

Blending found footage with political critique, Flying Jewels is an experimental essay film documenting the development of military drone technology–from the study of hummingbird flight patterns to aerial surveillance systems. Presented in a storybook format, the film imagines how Hummingbird might narrate their transformation from an awe-inspiring being into a tool used for war. With sound design composed primarily of hummingbirds recordings, drone hums, and nature documentary music, Flying Jewels is an invitation for viewers to reflect on the ethics and surrealist futures of biotechnological mimicry and the militarization of sacred living systems.