The title of the film alludes to a line from the poem “A Case in a Thousand” by Robert Browning.

What does the killed infant smell of?

How is it that this question has haunted me for so long?

“What does the killed infant smell of?”

About The Film

“What does the killed infant smell of?” is a film directed by Mark Cousins and released in 2021. It is an adaptation of his own book, published in 2018, with the same title. The book was based on Browning’s poem, but it wasn’t just an adaptation: Cousins also added elements from other poems, as well as quotes and personal reflections. In fact, he did not make any changes to Browning’s original poem at all.

The film itself includes many different types of art and media. There are videos from around the world, including footage from wars and protests; there are still images; there are songs; there are interviews; there are writings about what people think about life and death. All these different elements were combined together to create a collage that was both beautiful and thought-provoking.