Bellbird

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Bellbird

2019

1h 35m

Comedy

Drama

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

100%

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10 Reviews

62%

Popcornmeter

Fewer than 50 Ratings

A rural community rallies around a recently widowed farmer to help him cope with his grief. The farmer's son struggles to find his own way.

David Stratton

The Australian

Bellbird isn't a very eventful film, but it's wise and warm, and often quite beautiful.

Rated: 3.5/5

Jul 2, 2020

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Deborah Young

The Hollywood Reporter

Bellbird has something special to offer.

Jan 6, 2020

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Jessica Kiang

Variety

A pleasantly heartwarming way to spend 96 undemanding minutes.

Dec 11, 2019

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Vicky Roach

Daily Telegraph (Australia)

Bellbird is an assured debut from a filmmaker with a lot of empathy for the human condition.

Rated: 4/5

Jun 30, 2020

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Rahul Desai

Film Companion

Bellbird is a moving and quietly observational portrait of the filmmaker's rustic roots.

Dec 10, 2019

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Kate Rodger

Newshub (NZ)

Tenderly breathing life into grief and healing by giving the story and its players permission to breathe themselves, and infusing it with that special kind of real Kiwi humour, it's just wonderful to watch.

Rated: 4.5/5

Nov 8, 2019

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Catherine W

Mesmerising. I didn't expect such a rich film: sad, gentle, funny. The cinematography is stunning. The beauty of the landscape, the relentless tedium of dairy farming, the solitude, the necessary stoicism. There is very little dialogue. You are reminded of the terrible muteness of men. There is no grand denouement, no villains, no happy ending, just a gradual unfolding. The viewer breathes again.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

09/17/24

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nefasto r

Just like a song played with the ukulele, this film is cute, undemanding, simple but touching and heartfelt. Impossible not to love all the characters.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

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Audience Member

Beautiful, gentle, and earthy exploration of grief. It's well-acted for the most part. I found some of the performers a bit stilted and overacting. It's a very slow burn story but always felt engaging with some witty dialogue — when there is dialogue. One of the key features of the story is that the father and son really don't know how to open up to each other. So the themes of masculine aversion to expressing feelings is strong, even though it is obvious that they are experiencing them. The humour is very gentle and rooted in the everyday life or the farm and rural community. And there are moments of profound deep tragedy. BELLBIRD requires patience to watch given its pace, but is surprisingly rewarding. The photography is beautifully done as would be expected in a movie filmed in New Zealand. Worth a look if you can manage the slow pace.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

02/27/23

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Hamish Bennett

Director

Jason Hodzelmans

Peter Shaw

Cohen Holloway

Bruce

Rachel House

Connie

Marshall Napier

Ross

Annie Whittle

Beth

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Synopsis

A rural community rallies around a recently widowed farmer to help him cope with his grief. The farmer's son struggles to find his own way.

Director: Hamish Bennett
Producer: Catherine Fitzgerald, Orlando Stewart
Production Co: Blueskin Films Ltd.
Genre: Comedy, Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Streaming): Jun 30, 2020
Runtime: 1h 35m

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