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The Island on Bird Street (1997)
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Overview
User Rating:
Release Date:
23 October 1997 (Netherlands) morePlot:
Alex is an 11-year old boy who, during WWII, hides in the Jewish ghetto from Nazis after all the relatives have been sent to the concentration camp... more | add synopsisAwards:
9 wins & 3 nominations moreUser Comments:
One boy's story of indomitable courage -- one terrific performance by a young actor moreCast
(Cast overview, first billed only) | Patrick Bergin | ... | Stefan |
| Jordan Kiziuk | ... | Alex |
 | Jack Warden | ... | Boruch |
| James Bolam | ... | Doctor Studjinsky |
 | Stefan Sauk | ... | Goehler |
| Simon Gregor | ... | Henryk |
| Lee Ross | ... | Freddy |
| Suzanna Hamilton | ... | Stasya's Mother |
| Sian Nicola Liquorish | ... | Stasya |
| Michael Byrne | ... | Bolek |
| Heather Tobias | ... | Mrs. Studjinsky |
| Leon Silver | ... | Mr. Gryn |
| Sue Jones-Davies | ... | Mrs. Gryn |
| Nigel John Whitear | ... | Yanek |
| Misha Daniel King | ... | Avrum |
Additional Details
MPAA:
Rated PG-13 for violence.Parents Guide:
Add content advisory for parentsRuntime:
107 minLanguage:
EnglishColor:
ColorSound Mix:
DolbyFilming Locations:
Wroclaw, PolandFAQ
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Discuss this movie with other users on IMDb message board for The Island on Bird Street (1997)| Recent Posts (updated daily) | User |
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Director Soren Kragh-Jacobsen sure picked his young protagonist well -- Jordan Kiziuk as Alex in the Danish film "The Island on Bird Street" practically carried the film by his undeniably superb performance. The film is about a Jewish young boy, bordering teens, his survival "adventure" in Poland during Nazi occupation.
How heartwarming can an uneasy wartime premise be? It actually achieves beyond "Jakob the Liar" -- Alex's courage, his creative ways in taking care of himself when he's all alone, his tenacity and steadfast belief that his Dad would come back for him…hold its own. And there is suspense: we fear for him, we want him to succeed, we pain, and we felt angst and joy with him. The set of his hide-out is somehow graphically appealing: a solitary, broken brick wall arrangement, with atmospheric lighting, and momentary interludes: a solitary dog on a street, paper off the ground dancing in the wind…
Music is by Zbigniew Preisner (Krzysztof Kieslowski's "Trois couleurs: Bleu" 1993, "Rouge" 1994, "The Double Life of Veronique" 1991, also "Fairy Tale: A True Story" 1997), hauntingly complements the plot. This may not be of Hollywood stature likened to "The Schindler's List", yet it's a small film with powerful impressions. It's a life-affirming story. Alex hanged on to hope -- we can, too.