Project Detail

The Bird Catcher

Synopsis

After being torn away from her family, 14-year-old Esther must assume a new identity in order to navigate her survival on a remote snow bound farm amidst the hostility of Nazi-occupied Norway.
Trondheim, Norway, 1940s: Esther (14) had been enjoying a peaceful, middle-class existence with her Jewish parents under the German occupation. However, one night, German officers arrive and arrest Esther's father, Hans, on account of his Jewish background. Esther and her mother escape in a truck but soon run into a German patrol. Hidden in a chest Esther is the only serving refugee - finding herself utterly alone in the snow she runs for cover in the woods but soon succumbs to the cold. She sees and follows a local farm boy, Aksel (16) back to his parent's farm.
When the German patrol arrives at the farm Esther decides to escape. She runs through the forest where she stumbles upon the frozen body of her mother. Aksel finds Esther clutching her mother's dead body some time later, and leads her back to the farm. But it soon becomes apparent to Esther that she will never survive as a girl and she decides to transform herself into a young boy.

Details

Year: 2018
Type of project: Features
Running time: 100 mins
Format: Digital Alexa Anamorphic
Director: Ross Clarke
Producer: Leon Clarance, Lisa Black, Ross Clarke
Executive Producer: Laure Vaysse, Laura Brook, Jonathan Deckter
Editor: Laura Morrod, Nicolas Gaster
Screenwriter: Trond Morten Kristensen
Director of Photography: John Christian Rosenlund
Production Designer: Åsa Nilsson
Composer: Jim Copperthwaite
Principal cast: Sarah-Sofie Boussnina, August Diehl, Jakob Cedergren. Laura Birn
Film Images: © MPC / Ian Corless

Genre

Human Rights Drama

Production Status

Complete

Production Company

UK, Norway coproduction

Motion Picture Capital (UK), Garnet Girl (US)

Motion Picture Capital

Laure Vaysse

Visit Website

Ross Clarke

ross333@mac.com

Sales Company

Voltage Pictures

Jonathan Deckter