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IMDb > The Island on Bird Street (1997)

The Island on Bird Street (1997) More at IMDbPro »


Overview

User Rating:
7.0/10   548 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
Down 4% in popularity this week. See rank & trends on IMDbPro.
Writers:
Uri Orlev (novel)
John Goldsmith (screenplay) ...
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Contact:
View company contact information for The Island on Bird Street on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
23 October 1997 (Netherlands) more
Genre:
Drama | War more
Plot:
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 synopsis
Plot Keywords:
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Awards:
9 wins & 3 nominations more
User Comments:
One boy's story of indomitable courage -- one terrific performance by a young actor more

Cast

  (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
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Additional Details

Also Known As:
Øen i fuglegaden (Denmark)
Die Insel in der Vogelstrasse (Germany)
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MPAA:
Rated PG-13 for violence.
Runtime:
107 min
Country:
Denmark | UK | Germany
Language:
English
Color:
Color
Sound Mix:
Dolby
Filming Locations:
Wroclaw, Poland

FAQ

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9 out of 10 people found the following comment useful:-
One boy's story of indomitable courage -- one terrific performance by a young actor, 2 January 2000
8/10
Author: Ruby Liang (ruby_fff) from sf, usa

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.

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