A Pigeon Sat on a Branch Reflecting on Existence

A Pigeon Sat on a Branch Reflecting on Existence

95 minutes
2014
Sweden Comedy / Drama

Like modern times’ Don Quixote and Sancho Panza, Sam and Jonathan, two travelling salesmen peddling novelty items, take us on a kaleidoscopic wandering through human destinies. A trip that shows us the beauty of single moments, the pettiness of others, the humor and tragedy that is in us, life’s grandeur as well as frailty of humanity. With a panoramic view it is told by a bird reflecting on the human condition. The pigeon is astonished by the humans—their activities, follies, prides, and agitation, which he tries to make sense of and understand. A Pigeon Sat on a Branch Reflecting on Existence is the third film of Andersson’s trilogy about humans lives, in which the director creates a tension between the banal and the essential, the comic and the tragic—to show the dialectic and dynamic nature of existence, while shaping the thought that mankind is potentially heading towards apocalypse, but also that the outcome is in our hands. Andersson’s Pigeon managed to amaze, move and left awe-struck the jury of the oldest international film festivals – Venice, and received the highest festival award – Golden Lion. Swedish master of comic absurdity, Roy Andersson is able to bring a humor in such painful subjects as mortality, aging, unpaid debts and unrequited love in his films. IFF Venice 2014 - Golden Lion

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About show

2014
Sweden Comedy / Drama

Like modern times’ Don Quixote and Sancho Panza, Sam and Jonathan, two travelling salesmen peddling novelty items, take us on a kaleidoscopic wandering through human destinies. A trip that shows us the beauty of single moments, the pettiness of others, the humor and tragedy that is in us, life’s grandeur as well as frailty of humanity. With a panoramic view it is told by a bird reflecting on the human condition. The pigeon is astonished by the humans—their activities, follies, prides, and agitation, which he tries to make sense of and understand.

A Pigeon Sat on a Branch Reflecting on Existence is the third film of Andersson’s trilogy about humans lives, in which the director creates a tension between the banal and the essential, the comic and the tragic—to show the dialectic and dynamic nature of existence, while shaping the thought that mankind is potentially heading towards apocalypse, but also that the outcome is in our hands.

Andersson’s Pigeon managed to amaze, move and left awe-struck the jury of the oldest international film festivals – Venice, and received the highest festival award – Golden Lion. Swedish master of comic absurdity, Roy Andersson is able to bring a humor in such painful subjects as mortality, aging, unpaid debts and unrequited love in his films.

IFF Venice 2014 - Golden Lion

Creators

Roy Andersson

Cast

Nils Westblom, Holger Andersson, Viktor Gyllenberg, Charlotta Larsson

Trailer

Awards

Won Nominated
Award
2014
MFF Benátky
Zlatý lev