The Ornithologist (2016)

Fernando, a solitary ornithologist, is looking for black storks when he is swept away by the rapids. Rescued by a couple of Chinese pilgrims, he plunges into an eerie and dark forest, trying to get back on his track.

Director:

João Pedro Rodrigues

Writer:

João Pedro Rodrigues

Stars:

Paul Hamy, João Pedro Rodrigues, Xelo Cagiao

20 wins & 43 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview:
Paul Hamy	...	Fernando
João Pedro Rodrigues	...	António
Xelo Cagiao	...	Jesus / Tomé
Han Wen	...	Fei
Chan Suan	...	Ling
Juliane Elting	...	Caçadora Loira
Flora Bulcao	...	Caçadora 1
Isabelle Puntel	...	Caçadora 2
Alexandre Alverca
André Freitas
David Silva Pereira
Gil Mendes Da Silva
Miguel Ângelo Marujo
Nuno Santos
Ricardo Jorge

Storyline

Fernando is a 35-year-old ornithologist. He decides to go down a river in a kayak, hoping to find extremely rare black storks. Distracted by the beauty of the landscape, Fernando is soon thrown overboard by the current, and his motionless, bloody body reaches the riverbank.

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Plot Keywords:

public nudity | gay kiss | male rear nudity | bondage | penis | 

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Taglines:

Certain things occur, it's a question of belief. - St. Anthony of Lisbon

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Genres:

Adventure | Drama | Mystery

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Certificate:

Unrated

Did You Know?

Trivia

Paul Hamy, who played the lead Fernando, is a French actor. The director and writer João Pedro Rodrigues dubbed much of Fernando's dialogue.

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Soundtracks

Canção do Engate
Performed by António Variações

User Reviews

Very ambitious, but hard to know what to make of it

I can't say that I don't respect this film. There's a lot going on underneath, but it's one of those films that you either get or you don't. I don't think I fully got it, either in a intellectual level or on an emotional one. Even if the former doesn't come at first, if the latter does, that's all that matters. The film lost me, but I also know it's one that will benefit from rewatches and further introspection. I can't wait to really gather my thoughts on it to see how it fares with time for me. In the meantime, I recommend it, with hesitations, but only to the right people.

Details

Official Sites:

House on Fire [France]

Country:

Portugal France Brazil

Language:

Portuguese English Mandarin Mirandese Latin

Release Date:

20 October 2016 (Portugal)

Also Known As:

The Ornithologist

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$6,132, 25 June 2017

Gross USA:

$50,511

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$74,714

Company Credits

Production Co:

Blackmaria, House on Fire, Ítaca Films Brasil

Technical Specs

Runtime:

117 min

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1