After a long period of isolation, Antonin, who suffers from chronic exhaustion, begins working at a bird rescue centre on Lake Geneva. Taking up an apprenticeship under the tutelage of a retiring supervisor, this young man gradually begins to reconnect with the world through the animals he cares for. The intimate and beautiful photography frames life inside the sanctuary like a nature diorama, with Antonin’s spare narration reflecting on days filled equally with routine tasks and small wonders. As he finds his way back into life, a world is revealed in which both injured birds and damaged souls can be healed.

Please be advised this film contains images of dead animals which some viewers might find distressing.

UK Premiere

Screens with: The People Who Feel [Audio]

Ariana Martinez | 2019 | USA, UK | 4′

Featuring Henry Córdova, produced by Ariana Martinez with support from Gilded Audio, UnionDocs, and Falling Tree Productions.

Screening includes a Q&A with directors Maya Kosa & Sérgio da Costa, hosted by Laura Allsop.

In partnership with the Embassy of Switzerland in the UK.

Read an essay about Bird Island by Margaret Salmon.

Available: Block 2 (Sat 12th Sept midday – Tue 15th Sept midnight BST)

Please note: this film is only available to view in the UK.

Nominated for the Emerging Filmmaker Award

Born in Geneva in 1985, Maya Kosa has a degree in cinema from the Haute École d’art et de design (HEAD) in Geneva. She directed her first short with Sergio da Costa, The Engineer and the Prosthetist in 2010.

Born in Lausanne in 1984, Sergio Da Costa graduated in cinema from the Haute École d’art et de design (HEAD) in Geneva. There, he directed two shorts, Interview with Almiro Vilar da Costa (2009) and Snack-bar Aquário (2010).