Скачать или смотреть SIFF 2017 Trailer: The Ornithologist (O Ornitólogo)

Screening at the Seattle International Film Festival. Tickets available now: http://bit.ly/ornithologist-yt

Portugal | 2016 | 118 minutes | João Pedro Rodrigues

With a subversive Pasolini-esque style, João Pedro Rodrigues' mind-bending adventure treks along with a solitary ornithologist who, while searching for endangered black storks, is plunged into the eerie and dark forests of northern Portugal and finds himself transforming into a Catholic saint.

Navigating between calm waters and a whimsical forest under the bright sun of Portugal, The Ornithologist, directed by João Pedro Rodrigues, is a poetic and meditative journey about a man facing the mysteries of nature. Birdwatcher Fernando (Paul Hamy) is preparing a scientific observation by himself on a river when he is swept away by the rapids and falls unconscious. Rescued by two Chinese girls, he wakes up in the forest. While recovering and finding his way out, he experiences strange and enigmatic encounters that will not leave him unchanged. Mingling with a mystical but dangerous outdoors, the cinematography enhances the lush flora; mountains, woods, and water are wrapped in a splendid natural light. Set in an environment that feels almost frozen in time, the story is complex, intriguing, and introspective. Yet the narrative flows like a river thanks to a mesmerizing performance by Hamy, the centerpiece of the journey. With a strong sense of symbolism and engaging Christ-like references in which the sacred meets the profane, The Ornithologist is a peaceful, oneiric panorama that invites the viewer into a delicate mystery.