Drama | Czech Republic 2019
Swiss premiere
OV w. Eng. ST | 169′ | Václav Marhoul
Petr Kotlár, Harvey Keitel, Stellan Skarsgård, Barry Pepper
Talk with Václav Marhoul
Houdini
Online-Edition
A Jewish boy is sent away by his parents to seek refuge from the horrors of the Second World War. His escape becomes an odyssey, during which he experiences brutal violence that viewers will find disturbing. At the same time, the film captivates with its formal beauty, radiant black-and-white images and Václav Marhoul’s expressive presentation of Jerzy Kosiński’s 1965 novel of the same name. The Painted Bird is likely to be the most discussed work at this year’s film festival. It is about the question of how much humiliation and hatred a human being can bear – and whether cinema is authorised to depict evil in a poetic way.
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VENICE FILM FESTIVAL
UNICEF Award
CHICAGO INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL
Best Cinematography
CAMERIMAGE
FIPRESCI Award for Cinematography
2020 Academy Awards
Shortlist for Best International Feature Film