The Metamorphosis of Birds

2020

1h 51m

Documentary

Biography

Drama

List

100%

Tomatometer

15 Reviews

75%

Popcornmeter

Fewer than 50 Ratings

Catarina Vasconcelos sifts through the memories and dreams of her ancestors. Vasconcelos presents her family's lineage, starting with her grandfather Henrique, who married her grandmother Beatriz on her 21st birthday. This is the beginning of a generational saga, told in shards of memory and voiceover.

Wendy Ide

Observer (UK)

This dramatised documentary about the family history of Portuguese first-time director Catarina Vasconcelos has a cumulative power that draws the audience into its dreamy, contemplative rhythms.

Rated: 3/5

Mar 13, 2022

Full Review

David Jenkins

Little White Lies

Could’ve happily sat with this 100-minute film for at least another hour.

Rated: 4/5

Mar 11, 2022

Full Review

Cath Clarke

Guardian

It’s a film of extraordinary, beautifully composed images, each one like a painting itself...

Rated: 3/5

Mar 7, 2022

Full Review

William Stottor

Loud and Clear Reviews

Striking in its abstract form and hypnotic in its unique compositions, The Metamorphosis of Birds is a deeply personal consideration of life, death and the natural world.

Rated: 4.5/5

Jul 18, 2024

Full Review

Sarah Kent

The Arts Desk

A film that may not succeed in awakening the dead, but is every bit as beautiful and as moving as Bach’s music.

Rated: 5/5

Mar 15, 2022

Full Review

Edward Porter

Sunday Times (UK)

When it produces beauty and lyricism — as it does here — this kind of cinema is worthwhile. Still, an hour and 40 minutes of it is an awful lot.

Rated: 3/5

Mar 15, 2022

Full Review

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Sarthak D

A truly cathartic experience which I can say revived my soul at a time I was in search of god. God revealed himself to me through this movie and made me look at so many things about life differently. While I have yet to contemplate on everything it has made me reconsider my entire life's trajectory...it has made me want to spend more time with my family and truly appreciate them while also pursuing art as an means of expression and even career. A truly beautiful movie with so many beautiful frames and quotes, my eyes were gripped by the scenes and my ears bound by the dialogue. Thank you for making this movie. Truly

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

10/22/23

Full Review

Yang S

充满诗意的家族史。能明显感受到叙及导演自己的母亲时影片变得略显空洞，不知是因为导演母亲的早逝还是因为导演更难从这段切身的真实中抽离。

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

02/28/23

Full Review

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Catarina Vasconcelos

Director

Manuel Rosa

Young Jacinto

João Móra

Young Pedro

Ana Vasconcelos

Young Beatriz

Henrique Vasconcelos

Jacinto

Inês Campos

Young Teresa

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Synopsis

Catarina Vasconcelos sifts through the memories and dreams of her ancestors. Vasconcelos presents her family's lineage, starting with her grandfather Henrique, who married her grandmother Beatriz on her 21st birthday. This is the beginning of a generational saga, told in shards of memory and voiceover.

Director: Catarina Vasconcelos
Producer: Pedro Fernandes Duarte, Joana Gusmão, Catarina Vasconcelos
Screenwriter: Catarina Vasconcelos, Catarina Vasconcelos
Production Co: Primeira Idade
Genre: Documentary, Biography, Drama
Original Language: Portuguese
Runtime: 1h 51m