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

Overview

User Rating:
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Down 9% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.
Writers:
Uri Orlev (novel)
John Goldsmith (screenplay) ...
(more)
Contact:
View company contact information for The Island on Bird Street on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
23 October 1997 (Netherlands) See more »
Genre:
Drama | War See 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... See more » | Add synopsis »
Plot Keywords:
See more »
Awards:
9 wins & 3 nominations See more »
NewsDesk:
Preisner, Holmes to host Talent Campus
 (From The Hollywood Reporter. 16 January 2004)
User Reviews:
One boy's story of indomitable courage -- one terrific performance by a young actor See more (17 total) »

Cast

  (in credits order) (complete, awaiting verification)

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
Nicole Maria Hann ... Tsyppora
Richard Pepper ... Boy (as Richard William Pepper)
Marek Grabowski ... Adam
Phil-Alexander Szalek ... Yossi
Marcin Herman ... Joseph
Pawel Lauterbach ... Benny
Jacek Milczanowski ... Yitzak
Pawel Okonski ... Richter (as Pawt Okonski)
Leon Niemczyk ... Podulski
Jacek Krautforst ... Goehler's Adjutant
Frank Albrecht ... German Soldier
Jan Blecki ... Terrified Man
Juliusz Chrzastowski ... Jewish Policeman
Katazyna Suszyto ... Miriam
Juilta Wotoszynska ... Benny's Mother
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Jacob Rasmussen ... German nazi (uncredited)
Jo Stock ... Bit Part (uncredited)
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Directed by
Søren Kragh-Jacobsen 
 
Writing credits
Uri Orlev (novel)

John Goldsmith (screenplay) &
Tony Grisoni (screenplay)

Produced by
David Ball .... line producer
Rudy Cohen .... producer
Rolf Deyhle .... executive producer
David Korda .... executive producer
Victoria Lucas .... associate producer
Kim Magnusson .... delegate executive producer
Tivi Magnusson .... producer
 
Original Music by
Zbigniew Preisner 
 
Cinematography by
Ian Wilson (director of photography)
 
Film Editing by
David Martin 
 
Casting by
Liora Reich 
Sheila Trezise 
 
Production Design by
Norbert Scherer 
 
Art Direction by
Alexander Scherer  (as Alex Scherer)
 
Set Decoration by
Eliane Huss 
 
Costume Design by
Bea Gossmann 
Barbara Sródka-Makówka 
 
Makeup Department
Erika Sternberg .... makeup artist
Gerd Zeiss .... makeup artist
 
Production Management
David Ball .... unit production manager
Mieczyslaw Janowski .... unit manager: Poland
 
Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Marcus Catlin .... second assistant director
Tim Lewis .... first assistant director
Jaroslaw Marszewski .... second assistant director: Poland
Marek Piestrak .... second assistant director: Poland
Haider Rizvi .... first assistant director: Poland
 
Art Department
Thomas Bartsch .... construction crew
Friedhelm Becker .... head painter
Stefan Branca .... painter
Dirk Burrekoven .... construction crew
Andreas Effer .... construction crew
Achim Feles .... construction manager
Ulrike Gojowczyk .... stand-by props
Fred Gutberg .... stand-by carpenter
Karl-Heinz Hahnel .... construction foreman (as Karl-Heinz Hähnel)
Claudia Hasenstab .... prop buyer
Michael Jensen .... storyboard artist
Rolf Köhler .... prop assistant
Gaby Mocaer .... painter
Alberto Mian Sartor .... sculptor
Britta Sassmannshausen .... painter
Corinne Schneider .... painter
Thomas Schulte .... construction crew
Anja Seebaum .... assistant production designer
Jochen Vogt .... construction crew
Andrzej Rafal Waltenberger .... set designer: Poland
Piotr Wilczynski .... props: Poland
 
Sound Department
Jim Skau Andersen .... sound effects editor (as Jim Skau)
Kristian Eidnes Andersen .... sound editor
Niels Arild .... sound editor
Niels Arild .... sound re-recording mixer
Rolf Hapke .... sound mixer
Frank Lehner .... boom operator
Julien Naudin .... foley artist
Per Streit .... sound designer
 
Special Effects by
Detlef Kaschugg .... special effects
Slawomir Maslanka .... special effects: Poland
Klaus Mitter .... special effects
 
Stunts
Waclaw Wisniowski .... stunt coordinator
Tomek Zawade .... stunts
 
Camera and Electrical Department
Celio Castro .... electrician
Czeslaw Cyran .... focus puller: Poland
Michael Green .... focus puller
Pier Hausemer .... camera trainee
Sven Heinrich .... clapper loader
Thorsten Krusche .... electrician
Georg Nonnenmacher .... best boy
Knut K. Pedersen .... Steadicam operator
Klaus Peter Venn .... gaffer
Astrid Wirth .... still photographer
 
Animation Department
Matthias Wahl .... set artist
 
Casting Department
Sabine Schwedhelm .... casting: Germany
 
Costume and Wardrobe Department
Daniele Gossens-Dommel .... costume assistant
Martina Schall .... wardrobe
Teresa Tutak .... wardrobe: Poland
 
Editorial Department
Hans-Gabriel Bergmann .... color timer
Ulla Hiltl .... first assistant editor
Renate Hähmer .... negative cutter (as Renate Hähner)
Mikaela Von Freiesleben .... second assistant editor
Olga Zapletal .... negative cutter
 
Music Department
Jacek Kaspszyk .... conductor
Rafal Paczkowski .... score mixer
 
Transportation Department
Joerg Balzer .... driver (as Joerg Baltzer)
Jörg Ulbrich .... driver
 
Other crew
Stephanie Ahlen .... production assistant
Hasse Christensen .... title designer
Anna Czarska .... production coordinator: Poland
Tomas Villum Jensen .... assistant to director
Antje Köster .... assistant production coordinator
Corinne Le Hong .... production coordinator
Lis Lund .... public relations
Danuta Skarszewska .... script supervisor
Grazyna Solarczykowna .... executive producer: of Preisner Production
Marian Strus .... stand-in
Rivens Wehner .... stand-in
Klaus Flesch .... production accountant (uncredited)
Bernhard Speck .... production accountant consultant (uncredited)
 
Thanks
Dag Alveberg .... thanks
Mark Forstater .... thanks
Hans Hansen .... thanks
Frank Hübner .... thanks
 

Production CompaniesDistributorsSpecial EffectsOther Companies
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Additional Details

Also Known As:
"My Little Garden" - Japan (English title)
"The Island on Birds Street" - Israel (English title)
See more »
MPAA:
Rated PG-13 for violence
Parents Guide:
View content advisory for parents
Runtime:
107 min
Country:
Denmark | UK | Germany
Language:
English | German | Latin
Color:
Color
Sound Mix:
Dolby
Certification:
Iceland:12 | Netherlands:12 | France:U | Sweden:11 | USA:PG-13
Filming Locations:
Wroclaw, Dolnoslaskie, Poland
Company:
April ProductionsSee more »

Did You Know?

Trivia:
Based on the semi-autobiographical Hebrew book "The Island on Birds Street" (HaI BeRehov HaTziporim), by Israeli author Uri Orlev.See more »
Quotes:
Alex:A man should never drink alone!See more »

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User Reviews

   (Review this title)
12 out of 13 people found the following review useful.
One boy's story of indomitable courage -- one terrific performance by a young actor, 2 January 2000
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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