Hen

The protagonist of this allegory, after witnessing the fate of laying hens and their eggs on a poultry farm, makes her escape. By a happy – or perhaps not so happy – accident, the hen finds herself at a remote farmhouse that once housed a cozy restaurant. Placed in the coop by the farmer, the hapless chicken embarks on her own adventures. These adventures reveal striking parallels with human rules of cohabitation and mating, with displays of power and dominance. Longing for family but kept only for her eggs, she must once again plot her escape. As we follow the bird’s adventures, the world unfolds from her perspective. Her attentive gaze observes threats, tensions, moral failures, and fleeting moments of happiness in the lives of those around her. Paradoxically, even tragically, it is a bloody drama in the human world that finally gives our feathered heroine hope of a long and peaceful life.

Hungarian director György Pálfi is renowned for his unsettling, even shocking ideas and his stylistic originality; his films Hukkle, Taxidermia, and Free Fall have won dozens of international awards. In his latest film, Hen, he reveals his talent for balancing experimentation with accessibility, striking visuals with genuine emotion. Shot in Greek, the film was partly inspired by the principles of classical Greek tragedy. Its premiere took place at the Toronto International Film Festival.