It’s a subject matter that most men wouldn’t usually go gaga over.

But French director Thomas Balmes, 40, became an instant hero to mums all over the world when he gave birth to Babies, his new heartwarming and cute documentary feature film, which opens here today.

For his 80-minute labour of love, he spent about 400 days capturing the milestones of four infants in their first year of life – Ponijao from Namibia, Bayarjargal from Mongolia, Mari from Tokyo, Japan, and Hattie from San Francisco in the US.

The father of three kids – aged three, five and seven – took two years, on and off, to edit 400 hours of footage.

Balmes selected families from casting sessions that represented the different levels of industrialisation and modern society.

He even gained the four mothers’ trust so much that they allowed him to feature them topless for Babies, which is rated NC16 for breastfeeding-related nudity.

Balmes told FiRST over the phone from Paris: “You would expect a female director (to be helming Babies), but it was not a big problem. (For the Japanese mum), in the beginning, there was a fear of (showing) breastfeeding.

“But as our relationship got stronger and she liked the footage she saw, she became more confident and I had more access.”

But he acknowledged that there were moviegoers who got “really bored” – men, mostly – and didn’t see the point of his documentary.

He said: “On the first level, yes, it’s about babies. On the second level, and what I find more interesting, is (that) it speaks about the diversity of cultures and behaviours around the world.”

If you had to choose from your “children” now, which baby was your personal favourite?

I love all of them, but I did have an intimate special relationship with Ponijao because I spent much more time with her. I did 100 per cent of the shots of her. In America, (Hattie’s cinematographer dad) did a bit, and in Mongolia, I had a good cameraman. Ponijao’s father was away taking care of the cattle most of the time. So to the whole family, I was like a stepfather.

And your favourite scene?

Definitely the opening, with Ponijao and her brother fighting. It was fascinating because I was told they never fought, but here they were screaming at each other over a plastic bottle. It was the only modern thing in the village, and I took it there!

It was an interesting metaphor, as my kids are the same, fighting over toys and material goods.

So yes, I was guilty of introducing (dissent) in their lives. And no, it wasn’t intentional to create drama! I was just thirsty!

Which baby’s story resonated with you the most?

I recognised myself in the American and Japanese way of parenting, where the children are surrounded by toys, tools and technology, which ends up killing all possible connections between people.

It was fascinating to observe how in Africa and Mongolia, without stimulation and material things, the kids are still growing up in the same beautiful way.

It made me change the way I deal with my kids, which was to never let them for one minute get bored, and that’s not the right thing to do. We have to give them space and time to deal with emptiness because I think in the end they use that to become more creative and independent.

Did you find yourself becoming an accidental babysitter on the set?

Especially since there were a few potentially dangerous situations in Namibia and Mongolia involving the babies and the animals around them, which may have required your intervention.

I made it clear to the parents at the beginning that I was not babysitting and that they must keep an eye on the children.

There were a few scenes we might consider scary, but these kids do have different relationships with the environment and the animals than we have. They were born into the surroundings.

I’d never put my kids in the middle of running cattle, of course. But sometimes I think we’re too afraid, too anticipating of danger. It’s important for babies to discover for themselves what’s safe and what’s not.

You must’ve missed your family even more acutely when you were travelling the world for the filming, especially since your youngest was born around the same time as your “actors”.

I spent more time with the four babies than with my own kids, so that was really the most difficult and challenging process.

It was complicated...(my wife and I) experienced different tensions, but we survived it and she forgave me (laughs). When I got back, I didn’t film my children at all. When you’re filming, you’re not really with the people and I just wanted to be with them.

Now that your young stars are aged between three and four, there’s even talk of a Babies sequel right?

We’re talking about it, but we’ll have to wait a few years. It may be about how (the babies) are getting on, focusing on education and schooling, the new level of life that follows. But yes, I’ll have to get permission from my wife first!

This article was first published in The New Paper.