Cages in Search of Birds

Most people will have a preconception of what extremism, or radicalisation, means to them and what it looks like. But much of this is shaped by the media and governments: what we are told extremism looks like, what we are told causes it, and what we are told the answers to it are.

Even the dictionaries don’t quite agree. Cambridge defines extremism as “the fact of someone having beliefs that most people think are unreasonable and unacceptable”, while the OED describes it as “the advocacy of extreme measures or views; radicalism, fanaticism, especially in political matters”. The difference is subtle but telling. Cambridge presents extremism as a matter of social perception, defined by what most people consider unreasonable. The OED focuses more on intent, on actively promoting extreme views or measures, typically political ones.

Jochnowicz, a UK-based Jewish filmmaker, wants to highlight exactly this problem: that defining extremism or radicalisation isn’t that simple. Their feature-length documentary, Cages in Search of Birds, isn’t born out of a desire to preach any particular viewpoint. Rather, it’s a response to documentaries that focus too heavily on a single cause or process, and an attempt to close the gap between how the public sees extremism and what the research actually says.

Jochnowicz splits the film into six vignettes, each tackling a different aspect of, or misconception about, extremism. They call on a roster of scholars, activists and “formers” (people who have since been deradicalised) to explore what we have got, and continue to get, wrong.

Social media, for example, is an oft-cited cause of growing radicalisation across the world, yet the film suggests it probably isn’t as responsible as we might think. It examines radicalisation both at an individual level and at a societal scale. And while it tackles a number of heavy, serious issues, Jochnowicz balances these with more hopeful insights into reconciliation, and an inspiring call to action in the film's epilogue. The film can feel a bit overwhelming at times, purely because of how much it packs in. But importantly, each vignette is followed by a conversation between Jochnowicz and an anonymous researcher, who not only delves further into its talking points but lays them out in such a concise and approachable way that even this reviewer can understand.

And the film covers a lot of ground in its ninety-minute runtime, from home-grown extremism in the UK to cases further afield in the US, Israel and Sudan. It also questions whether counter-extremism programmes run by some organisations are as effective, or as fair, as they should be. The film becomes more personal when it turns to the Jewish diaspora in the UK, as Jochnowicz explores how we might deradicalise both Britain and their own community. Yet they make sure to give the same care and attention to detail to every other vignette, always staying true to the film’s purpose of promoting more open, nuanced thinking. Overall, it’s a highly considered, balanced film that oozes passion and never falls into the trap of preaching.

Cages in Search of Birds does what all great documentaries should: rather than trying to convince you one way or the other, it simply asks you to think more critically about the sensitive issues it tackles.