In vivid black and white, director Elizabeth Lo observes a wildlife care center where animals are treated for injuries. Caregivers offer treatment to a range of small creatures—a bat, weasel, and hawk are among the patients—whose natural forms are at odds with the medical equipment surrounding them. Feathers and fur are a stark contrast to the sheen of needles and tubing, the fibers of manmade towels. As the camera observes the interventions involved, brief conversations between workers encapsulate both their dedication and their feelings of loss. With subtle restraint, American Wildlife underscores the fragile balance of our world and the toll human encroachment takes on the animals—their bones, wings, and lungs—that bear the burden of ever-expanding development.  ST

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