The Ornithologist

Story

Ornithologist Fernando is kayaking along a quiet river in Northern Portugal on the look-out for black storks when he gets into difficulties in some rapids. His boat capsizes and he is rescued by two Chinese women on a pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela. This isn’t the only unusual encounter experienced by the twitcher. On his way through the forest, he makes the acquaintance of some drunken men dressed as shamans. He slips in to a gay affair that ends fatally and is watched by suspicious birds. This obstacle course of bizarre tests leads step by step to the complete transformation of Fernando: he becomes a new person and a reformed character. The Ornithologist is a brilliant, mystical jigsaw, full of twists and surprises, at the same time both disturbing and inspiring.

Director