Experiencing Interruptions?

Birdcage

A bird spreads her wings in an attempt to be truly seen, only to be restrained and imprisoned within her own body.

  • Lily McCauley
    Director
  • Lily McCauley
    Key Cast
    "The Bird"
  • Audrey` Weber
    Cinematographer
  • Sylvia Ebeid
    Production Assistant
  • Project Type:
    Experimental, Short, Student
  • Genres:
    Performance Art
  • Runtime:
    3 minutes 20 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    March 21, 2024
  • Production Budget:
    75 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    United States, United States
  • Country of Filming:
    United States, United States
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    Yes - DePaul University
Director Biography - Lily McCauley

Lily McCauley is a filmmaker and performance artist currently studying Film Direction at DePaul University's School of the Cinematic Arts. She has worked on a number of short films -- both narrative and experimental -- in a variety of roles, including director, producer, 1st AD, production designer, and actor. Her current work is focused on exploring subjects of power, bodily autonomy, isolation, and connection through a combination of both narrative and experimental techniques. Lily also works in the mediums of sculpture, installation, and live performance.

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Director Statement

Birdcage is an expression of the frustrating experience of having to understand my body as a sexual object. As a trans woman, I have had to deal with people approaching me as an inherently sexualized thing -- an object of fetishizing desire and violent disgust alike. While I have attempted to express sexuality on my own terms, I often find that the response to my vulnerability is objectification and condemnation. This inability to be seen as I see myself leaves me trapped within my own body, unable to be intimate with others without subjecting myself to their painful gaze. This pain is what Birdcage is meant to express, with the “Bird’s” performance showing the process of opening up to experience the joy of vulnerability, only to be punished for indulging in non-traditional self-expression.