The Painted Bird / Nabarvené ptáče
Czech Republic, Ukraine, Slovakia 2019
Directed by Václav Marhoul, drama/history, 169 min, eng subtitles, 18+
Written by Václav Marhoul
With Petr Kotlár, Udo Kier, Jitka Čvančarová, Stellan Skarsgård, Harvey Keitel, Julian Sands, Barry Pepper
Based on the acclaimed novel by Jerzy Kosiński, The Painted Bird is a meticulous 35mm black and white evocation of the bloody close of World War II in Eastern Europe. The film follows the infernal journey of a boy whom his persecuted parents entrust to an elderly foster mother living in the country. The old woman soon dies and the boy, left on his own, wanders through small villages in an unspecified war-devastated land. Considered "a Gypsy or Jewish stray" by the superstitious peasants, he struggles for survival in a world of extreme cruelty and becomes a mute witness of the atrocities of humankind. Václav Marhoul´s film was premiered in the main competition of this year's Venice Film Festival.
Awards:
Venice IFF 2019 (Main Competition)
Toronto IFF 2019 (Special Presentations)
BFI London FF 2019 (First Feature Competition Award)
Czech candidate for the Oscars