BIRD DOG tells the story of Rosie, a very young girl who lives with her father and her siblings in the countryside, they go out on small hunting parties where Rosie helps her father spot ducks and quails, which makes her his best "Bird Dog". One day, while cleaning their prey, her brother dares her to swallow the heart of a quail, once she does this, her brother immediately teases her about how "everybody knows" that if she swallows the heart of a bird, it will grow into a full bird within her stomach. She is obviously frightened by this information (they are children after all) and her brother even warns her about telling their father, or else he'll have to rip the bird out of her gut. It is at this moment that a strange intersection between what is obviously childhood fantasy and reality begin to intertwine, in the following days Amy begins to experience mood swings at diner time and cramps while she tries to sleep, it is this strange pain that gives way to her imagination visualizing the bird within her body taking shape, forming and using its beak to cause her pain. A few days later, Rosie begins to bleed and it is her believe that the bird inside of her will try to come out from her body, she understandably panics and seeks her father's help, who one can only imagine had expected this day to come; the day that Rosie would have her first period. Rosie explains in her frenzy what her brother told her about the bird growing within her, dad comforts her and proceeds to leave the "talk" to the elder women who explain the impressionable Rosie what really is going on with her body.
BIRD DOG does something quite unique, it manages to capture that stage of childhood in which fantasy and reality still blur. When we are kids, we believe in the most outlandish things, especially if they are reinforced with a bit of reality in them. Take for example Santa Claus, the idea takes hold of children all around the world, but what makes them believe in this outlandish concept is the fact that the next morning the presents are there, of course, there's always something behind every myth. We know as grown-ups that it is mom and dad (and in the future perhaps even us) who place the presents below the tree. For Rosie, the lines between fantasy and reality intertwine with incredible timing for the "bird" causing her pain is actually pre-menstrual cramps, her first period manifested in blood that to her comes out of nowhere can only be explained by what she has been led to believe by her brother. There's also the matter of how an echo chamber of misinformation can shape and change reality (these days it seems, more topical than ever) Rosie's instinct tells her at first that her brother's story is made-up, she's skeptical at first; there's no way a bird could grow within her body just by swallowing its heart, right? But it's her brother's taunts and apparent conviction along with her little sister's support of the story that plant the seeds of doubt within her mind. Later on, the strange pain within her body convince her that this myth created by the mind of a mischievous child is true. Like the Mayans that used their dominion of astronomy to convince the misinformed masses of their power when a solar eclipse occurred, her brother has successfully convinced her that there's a bird growing in her belly. However, what seals the deal when it comes to convincing people (and children) that if they don't believe in something as they are told, something bad will happen, in this case, Rosie is warned that if she tells her father that there's a bird in her stomach, there will be painful repercussions. Children's minds are closer to the way our ancestors thought. The world is still new to them, they seek answers to natural phenomena and the "why" of life as much as adults do. But while modern adults make use of science and reason (in some cases ) to explain the world around them, children sometimes have their own explanations, courtesy of their imaginations. For Rosie, of course, the time for fantasies and made-up stories is up. Once Rosie receives an explanation of what is happening to her, the world seems clearer, and the world is not as fantastical as it used to be, from now on however, she will never be taunted by folly, she has the full power of knowledge at her disposal.
The short is directed by Katrina Whalen as a vivid and distant memory of childhood, with a great understanding of how a child sees the world, how they experience it, the way they communicate among other children and to the rest of the adults around them. The beautiful golden-like cinematography by Federico Cesca captures perfectly the sensation of recollecting a particular memory of years ago. As for the child actors, the standout is Georgie Charette as Rosie who projects an honest innocence and curiosity, fear and doubt and later on, once possessing knowledge, a fearlessness and sense of confidence. The children actually play and talk as children would, they don't feel forced or overtly intellectual and articulated for their age as other films do, these kids behave and talk as children actually do, and they come up with the kind of nonsense that can only make sense to a child. The guitar soundtrack by Jim White immerses us in the countryside, the tunes going accord with the beautiful scenery and locations. BIRD DOG is a triple treat: expertly crafted, well told and performed with honesty Oaxaca FilmFest.
BIRD DOG does something quite unique, it manages to capture that stage of childhood in which fantasy and reality still blur. When we are kids, we believe in the most outlandish things, especially if they are reinforced with a bit of reality in them. Take for example Santa Claus, the idea takes hold of children all around the world, but what makes them believe in this outlandish concept is the fact that the next morning the presents are there, of course, there's always something behind every myth. We know as grown-ups that it is mom and dad (and in the future perhaps even us) who place the presents below the tree. For Rosie, the lines between fantasy and reality intertwine with incredible timing for the "bird" causing her pain is actually pre-menstrual cramps, her first period manifested in blood that to her comes out of nowhere can only be explained by what she has been led to believe by her brother. There's also the matter of how an echo chamber of misinformation can shape and change reality (these days it seems, more topical than ever) Rosie's instinct tells her at first that her brother's story is made-up, she's skeptical at first; there's no way a bird could grow within her body just by swallowing its heart, right? But it's her brother's taunts and apparent conviction along with her little sister's support of the story that plant the seeds of doubt within her mind. Later on, the strange pain within her body convince her that this myth created by the mind of a mischievous child is true. Like the Mayans that used their dominion of astronomy to convince the misinformed masses of their power when a solar eclipse occurred, her brother has successfully convinced her that there's a bird growing in her belly. However, what seals the deal when it comes to convincing people (and children) that if they don't believe in something as they are told, something bad will happen, in this case, Rosie is warned that if she tells her father that there's a bird in her stomach, there will be painful repercussions. Children's minds are closer to the way our ancestors thought. The world is still new to them, they seek answers to natural phenomena and the "why" of life as much as adults do. But while modern adults make use of science and reason (in some cases ) to explain the world around them, children sometimes have their own explanations, courtesy of their imaginations. For Rosie, of course, the time for fantasies and made-up stories is up. Once Rosie receives an explanation of what is happening to her, the world seems clearer, and the world is not as fantastical as it used to be, from now on however, she will never be taunted by folly, she has the full power of knowledge at her disposal.
The short is directed by Katrina Whalen as a vivid and distant memory of childhood, with a great understanding of how a child sees the world, how they experience it, the way they communicate among other children and to the rest of the adults around them. The beautiful golden-like cinematography by Federico Cesca captures perfectly the sensation of recollecting a particular memory of years ago. As for the child actors, the standout is Georgie Charette as Rosie who projects an honest innocence and curiosity, fear and doubt and later on, once possessing knowledge, a fearlessness and sense of confidence. The children actually play and talk as children would, they don't feel forced or overtly intellectual and articulated for their age as other films do, these kids behave and talk as children actually do, and they come up with the kind of nonsense that can only make sense to a child. The guitar soundtrack by Jim White immerses us in the countryside, the tunes going accord with the beautiful scenery and locations. BIRD DOG is a triple treat: expertly crafted, well told and performed with honesty Oaxaca FilmFest.
