Belgium/France
2011/35mm/86mins — AUSTRALIAN PREMIERE
WEDNESDAY 2 NOVEMBER 4.00 PM – BUY!
THURSDAY 3 NOVEMBER 6.15 PM – BUY!
An exquisite blend of arthouse and traditional storytelling, this dreamlike fantasy is about two children looking for a bird on the stunning plains of Togo.
Based loosely on Belgian novelist Maurice Maeterlinck’s classic 1909 story, director Gust Van Den Berghe turns a simple journey of brother and sister setting out on the road in search of a bird, into a magical folk tale. Immersed in a blue tinged world, the children leave their village only to meet the ghosts of their grandparents, the gods and spirits of the land, and a captivating collection of ‘unborn’ children (all wearing strange hats!). With the most delicate cinematography and through a series of charming incidents, the film explores themes of innocence, ritual, and the passing of time on the plains of Africa.
Screenings at Cannes and Karlovy Vary Film Festivals
“a magical mystery – a spiritual road journey” IndieWire
“a charmingly enigmatic story” Mark Adams, ScreenDaily
Story Maurice Materlinck Director Gust Van Den Berghe Producer Tomas Leyers Cast Bafiokadie Potey, Tene Potey Print Source Doc & Film, Belgium
