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The Birds

Isolated in a lifeless estuary with muddy banks, an old man who despises the gods lives alone, his only companion a caged cockatiel. To the bird, he confides his dreams of escaping his monotonous routine and founding a city where humans and birds can live freely. But Death is slowly approaching, accompanied by Time.

Inspired by Mia Couto’s tale 'A Morte, o Tempo e o Velho' and Aristophanes’ play 'The Birds', this surreal fable delves into the relationship between humans, gods, and time, exploring the cycles of life and the quest for freedom.

  • Pedro Magano
    Director
    Irmãos, A um Mar de Distância, Luana
  • Pedro Magano
    Writer
  • Mia Couto
    Original Source Material
  • Pedro Sá
    Producer
  • Gustavo Sumpta
    Key Cast
    Tommy Guns, Horse Money, Remains of the Wind
  • Mafalda Rocha
    Key Cast
  • Manuel Pinto Barros
    Director of Photography
  • Duarte Ferreira
    Sound Director
  • Nuno Rocha
    Editing
  • Ângelo Costa
    Art Director
  • Paula Gomes
    Wardrobe
  • Branca Sarabando
    Wardrobe
  • Ana Nunes
    Make-up Director
  • Pedro Negrão
    Color Correction
  • Maurício D’Orey
    Sound Design
  • Hugo Raposo
    Special Effects
  • Élio Mateus
    Special Effects
  • Tânia Teixeira
    Assistant Director
  • Sara Mendes
    Production Assistant
  • Diogo Carvalho
    Production Assistant
  • Project Title (Original Language):
    As Aves
  • Project Type:
    Feature
  • Runtime:
    1 hour 13 minutes 18 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    September 1, 2024
  • Production Budget:
    182,000 EUR
  • Country of Origin:
    Portugal
  • Country of Filming:
    Portugal
  • Language:
    Portuguese
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital 4K
  • Aspect Ratio:
    1.35
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
Distribution Information
  • MUNA
    Sales Agent
    Country: Worldwide
  • Cruz Del Sur CINE
    Distributor
    Country: Argentina
    Rights: All Rights
  • Repass Filmes
    Distributor
    Country: Brazil
    Rights: Theatrical
Director Biography - Pedro Magano

After graduating in Audiovisual Communication Technologies, Pedro Magano began his carreer in 2003 as a camera operator. Between 2007 and 2014, he worked as a director of photography on film and TV documentaries. His directorial debut was the feature-length documentary 'Os Irmãos' (2015), which won the National competition at Caminhos do Cinema Português Film Festival and the Golden Lynx award at FEST - New Directors/New Films. His short film 'Luana' (2018) was shown at Festival Internacional de Cine de Gijón, Festival de Cine de Cartagena, Capital City Film Festival, among others. He has directed and produced projects that have been featured in festivals worldwide such as É Tudo Verdade, DOCS MX, Brasília International Film Festival, and many others, and most of his projects have been supported by the Portuguese National Film Institute.

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Director Statement

Creating a story for children and adults alike has always been a personal goal of mine, inspired by fables that are apparently straightforward but which hide fundamental philosophical questions about themes such as life, death and time. Such is the short story ‘A Morte, o Tempo e o Velho’ (‘Death, Time and the Old Man’) by the Mozambican writer Mia Couto. It tells the story of an Old Man who longs for Death to relieve him from the burden of life. But when he finally finds Death, in the form of a wild dog and accompanied by Time, she immortalizes him, contrary to his fatalistic ambitions, because she fell in love with the way the man described his dreams – the gods are fascinated by humans. On the other hand, in ‘The Birds’, by Ancient Greek playwright Aristophanes, Tereus and Procne, turned into birds by the gods, wish to found a new city for men and birds: Cloud Cuckoo Land!

These two works of fiction are the basis for my film. The Greek play inspired the dialogue, imagery and overall aesthetic concept, with the ancient war between Men, Gods and Birds serving as the main theme, while Mia Couto's story inspired the characters and the narrative. In this adaptation, however, the Old Man does not seek Death; it is Death who seeks him accompanied by Time, wishing to have fun at the expense of the foolish mortal. But when the Old Man wishes to circumvent and control his destiny, Death finds this a disrespectful offense to her status as a God.

The Old Man lives in a kind of purgatory, isolated and surrounded by water. He repeatedly goes through the same old routine, and wishes to escape and create a city for Men and Birds, his own Cloud Cuckoo Land. He shares his laments with a cockatiel he keeps in a cage, a metaphor for his own life trapped in that hostile place, unaware of the reason for his imprisonment. His only freedom is found in books, during his wanderings through the city’s library. The film's narrative is cyclical, divided into three parts, and represents the repetitive nature of our lives and the cyclical dimension of time as we know it.