FIND IT AT 5TH: EXPLORING LIFE, DEATH AND CHANGE WITH ARTISTIC CINEMATOGRAPHY

THE METAMORPHOSIS OF BIRDS: 5TH AVE FILM PLAYING THIS

MILO LOZA

Life comes with inevitable loss, and exploring that loss becomes part of the human experience for those we leave behind. This week, 5th Avenue Cinema is showing The Metamorphosis of Birds, and students can watch for free, engage in existential questions and connect visually and artistically with loss and memorial on screen.

The 2020 film is a poetic documentary directed by Portuguese filmmaker Catarina Vasconcelos. The story spans across generations of the director’s family, exploring their relationships and secrets through personal stories, old photos and stunning cinematography.

The title refers to the idea that families evolve, just as birds transform from an egg. We get to see complex relationships between parents, children and siblings to gain a deeper understanding of how they both support and constrain. The Metamorphosis of Birds uniquely explores family dynamics through dreamlike images and lyrical subtitles.

The film was chosen for screening by one of 5th Avenue’s projectionists, Clara Johnson. She said that The Metamorphosis of Birds really intrigued her. “I’ve never seen a movie like it before,” she said. “I thought it was pretty impressive. It’s like a love letter to her own mother after she passed away.”

5th Avenue Cinema is known for playing older, experimental films for local cinephiles. A 2020 film like The Metamorphosis of Birds is unusual for the theater, but the experimentality of it fits just the same. “The other movie that I chose for this term, Shithouse, also came out in 2020—but this one doesn’t really feel as new,” Johnson said. “I think I do have a preference for new movies. I don’t actively watch old ones that often.”

Growing up, her parents would show her older films that would bore her. She also noted that newer films tend to gain a larger audience