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The Metamorphosis of Birds

Play trailer Poster for The Metamorphosis of Birds 2020 1h 51m Documentary Biography Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist Tomatometer Popcornmeter
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.

Critics Reviews

View All (15) Critics Reviews
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 Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

View All (2) audience reviews
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 Read all reviews
The Metamorphosis of Birds

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Cast & Crew

Movie Info

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