A film first written about by MsWOO about a week ago (HERE), which is screening at the ongoing Cannes Film Festival, where she currently is, as part of the Director’s Fortnight sidebar.
Written and directed by Belgian filmmaker Gust Van den Berghe, Blue Bird, she noted in her initial post, traverses the world and imaginations of two young African siblings as they go in search of a missing pet.
The official synopsis reads: “Blue Bird is a story about how one day in a child’s life can change its world. One morning, Bafiokadié and his sister Téné, two African children, leave their village. The only thing on their mind is to find their lost blue bird before the day is over. But they will find much more along their way: they encounter their deceased grand-parents, they fight the soul of the forest and learn from the Chief of Pleasure. Everyone tells them a story about life and death. At the end of their long journey, the brother and sister enter the Kingdom of the Future and meet some yet-to-be born children. Delighted with this discovery, they eventually return home. For as we lose something we gain something.“
So, to use Hollywood parlance, it’s essentially a kind of road movie, filled with mystical elements. And based on the below clips, I think magical realism best sums it up.
At the time of Wendy’s post, there wasn’t much media available, other than the above still image. Last night, I found these 4 clips from the film, which should give you some idea of what to expect here. Wendy will be seeing this at Cannes (if she hasn’t already), and we’ll get her firsthand reactions to it eventually.
In the meantime, watch the 4 clips now: