Bird (Andrea Arnold 2024)

Andrea Arnold: Bird (GB/FR/DE/US 2024). Franz Rogowski (Bird), Nykiya Adams (Bailey), Barry Keoghan (Bug).

GB/FR/DE/US 2024. Production companies: BBC Film, BFI, Pinky Promise, FirstGen Content, Access Entertainment, House Productions, Ad Vitam, Arte France Cinéma, Ciné+, Canal+. Produced by Andrea Arnold, Lee Groombridge, Juliette Howell, Tessa Ross.

    Directed by Andrea Arnold

Written by Andrea Arnold

Cinematography Robbie Ryan

The soundtrack was scored by British electronic artist Burial. It also features tracks by Fontaines D.C., Sleaford Mods and Coldplay.

Edited by Joe Bini

    Cast

Nykiya Adams as Bailey

Barry Keoghan as Bug, Bailey's father

Franz Rogowski as Bird

Jason Buda as Hunter, Bailey's half-brother

Jasmine Jobson as Peyton, Bailey's mother

Frankie Box as Kayleigh, Bug's fiancée

James Nelson-Joyce as Skate, Peyton's boyfriend

Joanne Matthews as Debs

Sarah Beth Harber as Dionne's Mum

Jason Williamson as Fred

    Principal photography took place in the south of England with filming locations including Gravesend, Dartford, Ashford and Bean, Kent in June 2023. In July 2023 filming took place on the Isle of Sheppey.

    119 min

    Language: English

    Distributed by Ad Vitam Distribution (France), Mubi (United States and United Kingdom)

    Release dates

Festival premiere: 16 May 2024 Cannes

US festival premiere: 30 Aug 2024 Telluride

US+GB premiere: 8 Nov 2024

French premiere: 1 Jan 2025 - distributor: Ad Vitam - sous-titres Emmanuel Denizot

    Vu dimanche, le 9 mars 2025, Cinéma Saint André des Arts : 12, rue Gît-le-Coeur, 75006 Paris, 6e, M° St-Michel, ligne 4

Telluride Film Festival: Made possible by a donation from Elizabeth Redleaf. Larry Gross: "Bailey (Nykiya Adams), a 12-year-old girl, struggles with the pain of managing a dad (Barry Keoghan) fixated on feckless money-making schemes. Bailey’s mom (Jasmine Jobson) has an abusive boyfriend, and her older sibling (Jason Buda) is drifting toward violent crime. She unexpectedly finds relief in Bird, a sexually fluid stranger (Franz Rogowski) with family problems of his own. Writer-director Andrea Arnold, unparalleled in providing us with clear-eyed, compassionate portraits of troubled and restless youth (FISH TANK, AMERICAN HONEY), works again with cinematographer Robbie Ryan to craft a moody, haunting landscape of housing projects and rocky beaches. But she spikes her social realism with transporting moments of magic and comedy. Keoghan is at his high-spirited best, Rogowski plays Bird with an alluring mystery, and Jobson provides BIRD’s emotional center—in much the same way that Bailey somehow keeps her unbalanced family from spinning out." –LG (U.K., 2024, 119m) In person: Andrea Arnold. G/Sat 4PM Q&AQ & A - C/Sun 9PM - H/Mon 3:30PM"

Wikipedia: "Bailey is a twelve year old girl who lives in a run down building with her father, Bug, and half brother, Hunter. One day, Bug announces his engagement to Kayleigh, a woman he has known for three months with their wedding on the following Saturday. Bailey, in shock and frustration, claims she will not attend and storms off."

"Later that day, Hunter tells Bailey he is in a vigilante group with his friends. Intrigued, Bailey follows them and witnesses the group of boys storm into a house and threaten a man with a box cutter. Police are quickly called and Bailey escapes into an empty field where she falls asleep for the night."

"The next morning, she is greeted by a mysterious man who calls himself Bird. She follows him to an apartment complex where he searches for a woman who lived there sometime ago, but has little luck finding her. Bailey leaves after this, but notices Bird on the roof of the building before Bug arrives to take her home and grounds her for being out all night."

"Bailey learns that Bird was looking for his mother who lived in the apartment complex, and that long ago she disappeared when he was a child. Warming to Bird, Bailey suggests her mother, Peyton, could help Bird as she lived in the complex years ago."

"At Peyton’s house, Bailey and Bird inquire about the residents, but are interrupted by the attitude of her live-in boyfriend, Skate. An argument ensues between Bailey and Skate, leading Bailey to film him, with Skate threatening to kill Peyton if Bailey shows the footage to the authorities. Despite this, Peyton is able to remember Bird's father's name. Bailey sends the video to Hunter, promising Bailey he and his group will attack Skate in order to rescue her mother along with her half-siblings."

"Later, Hunter requests Bailey’s assistance in delivering a note to his girlfriend Moon asking that the two run away to Scotland, due to her family’s disapproval of her recently discovered pregnancy. On the way, a crow follows Bailey and helps her slip the note past Moon’s family."

"The next day as Hunter and his friends plan their attack, Bailey takes her half-siblings out for the day to avoid the incident. Bird reappears to help Bailey and the kids to the beach where he attempts to track down his father. When they find his apartment, the man living there denies ever having a son to Bird and Bailey. Later, the man recants his denial and admits to Bird that he was with Bird's mom and they did have a boy, but left shortly after, unable to deal with her poor mental state. Bailey consoles a tearful Bird as the group heads back home."

"Soon after their return, Skate attempts to barge into their house. Peyton is unsuccessful in stopping him, leading to him assaulting her. Bailey attempts to stop him, but Skate knocks her unconscious. Bird re-enters the apartment and also attempts to defend Peyton, but Skate bashes his head in. While recovering, Bailey witnesses Bird transform into a creature with feathers, large wings, and bird-like eyes. He fights Skate again, this time taking him outside, where Bird knocks him unconscious, grabs him with talons and flies off with his body."

"The next morning Bailey discovers that Hunter has left home. She informs Bug and the two run to the train station and discover him alone, devastated that Moon did not follow through with his plans. Bug comforts Hunter, telling him he is too young for parenthood. The three of them ride back home and attend the wedding of Bug and Kayleigh, with Bailey in better spirits about the ceremony. During the reception, Bird shows up unannounced and hugs Bailey goodbye. As he leaves, Bailey's eyes are revealed to be bird-like in the same manner that Bird's eyes were."

AA: Andrea Arnold's Bird is a powerful and original coming-of-age story of a 12-year girl. It reminds me of Beasts of the Southern Wild, Systemsprenger and Scrapper, but it owes nothing to other film-makers, instead springing from Arnold's own passionate interest in the agony of adolescence in Fish Tank, Wuthering Heights and American Honey.

Bird is a drama of a child having to grow up prematurely in circumstances of failed, dysfunctional and violent parents. Nykiya Adams excels as Bailey who finds an unexpected companion in a stranger called Bird (Franz Rogowski), abandoned by his parents, forever seeking a hold in life. In this encounter, Arnold moves into magical realism. The realm of the birds introduces transcendence, a higher perspective, and the superpowers of imagination. The boundary of reality and fantasy is blurred.