With "Birds of Passage" Ciro Guerra, alongside co-director Cristina Gallego, continues his work as historiographer of South America. Guerra is known for his previous work, “El Abrazo de la Serpiente” (“Embrace of the serpent” in the Spanish original), in which a shaman from the Amazon teams up with scientists in searching for a sacred healing plant. This is the first time that Gallego goes behind the camera. She has produced

Seventeen years after walking out on them Alfonso returns home to tend to his son who is gravely ill. He finds that his old house hasn't changed, the woman who was once his wife is still working away with his daughter-in-law and grandson. The house is tucked away in the middle of sugar cane plantations that produce constant clouds of ash. Seventeen years after abandoning them, Alfonso will try to fit back in and save his family.