Picture this. A former drug dealer and inmate living in crime-ridden southeast Washington, DC, becomes a trained falconer. Picture the heavy leather glove, the majestic bird perched on his wrist, his eyes fixed on its eyes. Imagine he uses the connection he feels with these animals to connect with neighborhood children.

This is the film “The Falconer,” one of 137 films evaluated by 130 judges to prepare for the One Earth Film Festival, taking place March 6 to 15, 2020, at venues throughout the Chicago region.