The Metamorphosis of Birds

"When you can't remember, invent"

An astonishing piece of art, beautifully composed images, each one like a painting itself, A perfect symphony of all things that is cinema.

The Metamorphosis of Birds (A Metamorfose dos Pássaros) is a 2020 Portuguese film directed by Catarina Vasconcelos, blurring the lines between documentary, cinema, and drama. It is a poetic exploration of life, death, and familial relationships, particularly the nuanced perspectives of mothers, fathers, and daughters on existence and legacy.

The film uses stunning, dialogue-free visuals to weave a narrative about renewal and the inevitability of mortality. Through its meditative imagery and introspective tone, it invites viewers to ponder the beauty and fragility of life. However, its unconventional storytelling and slow pace may not appeal to all audiences.

While the film is undeniably thought-provoking, it leans heavily on abstract symbolism and artistic expression, which may resonate deeply with some but feel inaccessible or unengaging to others. As someone who reflected on its themes but didn't fully connect with it, I can appreciate its artistry without being captivated by its style.

This is the most compelling film I have seen for a long time. Every word, gesture, framing, is perfectly judged. It is impossible to summarise or adequately describe. I strongly advise all lovers of film to watch this.

It's rare that you are simply overcome by beauty and you weep intensely because of it. This film is a symphony and perfect choreography of words, images sounds and universal feelings.

Writing this during the end credits and I feel I cannot grasp the immensity of what this film has risen in me.

The narrative is very very good. It has a dose of portugalismo all over. The images are like canvas. You could easily imagine that u are watching the movie at a gallery. Spoiler: it has nothing to do with birds. It's a metaphor. If you like. If you enjoy Terrence malick give this a chance.