In the 2008 film, Birdsong, Catalan filmmaker Albert Serra portrays the three kings’ trek toward the Holy Family. The black and white film unfolds like a dream, capturing the internal journey of the kings as they stumble through a bleak landscape, accompanied only by the song of birds. Other than their crowns and robes, they lack regal trappings. By stripping away the opulence ordinarily associated with the Magi, Serra allows their essential humanity—at times clumsy, comic, or serious—to emerge. The kings are led by a vision: “We’re awestruck with the beauty of things,” one remarks. After nearly an hour of cinematic wandering, they reach the Holy Family and prostrate themselves before the newborn and his parents. Eventually, they trudge off, saying, “We won’t be coming back—we’ve had enough of this sand.” It’s a funny line, but also a poignant reminder of the singular nature of the kings’ journey and their willingness to take it.