The Sparrow in the Chimney

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The Sparrow in the Chimney

2024

1h 57m

Drama

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10 Reviews

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Karen lives with her husband Markus and their children in her idyllic childhood home. Karen's sister Jule and her family are visiting for Markus' birthday. The two women could not be more different. Grim reminders of their deceased mother incite Jule's rebellion against her domineering sister. As the house gradually fills with life and a sparrow in the chimney seeks a way out to freedom, Karen becomes increasingly tense -- until it all comes to a head and the old is destroyed to make room for the new.

Zachary Lee

RogerEbert.com

A film dipped in venom, often funny and deeply unsettling in how it portrays families who don’t feel the need to hide their vitriol behind pleasantries.

Nov 1, 2024

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Guy Lodge

Variety

The Sparrow in the Chimney may be a crowded work, sparking and seizing with nervous energy, but there’s a mutually enhancing tension between the rough-and-tumble of the drama and the refinement of the filmmaking.

Aug 16, 2024

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Vadim Rizov

Filmmaker Magazine

The third feature by Switzerland’s admirably idiosyncratic Ramon and Silvan Zürcher, The Sparrow in the Chimney is a frustrating synthesis of their previous two films.

Sep 17, 2024

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Diego Batlle

Otroscines.com

It must be bluntly stated that the staging is prodigious and the performances are of impactful intensity, but the narrative is ladened under its moral weight and use of obvious symbolism. [Full review in Spanish]

Rated: 3/5

Aug 27, 2024

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Hector A. Gonzalez

InSession Film

Zürcher tends to be more experimental when approaching this problematic family dynamic. Yet, he still maintains that humanist essence that makes this whole ordeal feel more personal and potent.

Rated: A-

Aug 26, 2024

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Martin Kudlac

ScreenAnarchy

What begins as a Chekhovian drama evolves into a Freudian spectacle, ultimately becoming a surreal and cynical reflection on family life, not for the faint of heart.

Aug 26, 2024

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Ramon Zürcher

Director

Maren Eggert

Actor

Britta Hammelstein

Actor

Luise Heyer

Actor

Andreas Döhler

Actor

Lea Zoe Voss

Actor

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Synopsis

Karen lives with her husband Markus and their children in her idyllic childhood home. Karen's sister Jule and her family are visiting for Markus' birthday. The two women could not be more different. Grim reminders of their deceased mother incite Jule's rebellion against her domineering sister. As the house gradually fills with life and a sparrow in the chimney seeks a way out to freedom, Karen becomes increasingly tense -- until it all comes to a head and the old is destroyed to make room for the new.

Director: Ramon Zürcher
Producer: Silvan Zürcher
Screenwriter: Ramon Zürcher
Production Co: Zürcher Film
Genre: Drama
Original Language: German
Runtime: 1h 57m