Birdhill

The film Birdhill delves into the lives of residents of a Bratislava neighbourhood. Whether they are former gardeners reminiscing about the time when the area was just vineyards and forests, with no asphalt roads leading here, the director of Google building his dream home for himself and his family, a flat owner in a new development facing communication issues with neighbours, a construction manager of a large apartment complex likely to encroach upon the last piece of wilderness or original animal inhabitants. Fragments of the local stories of the inhabitants of the neighbourhood with the characteristic name “Birdhill” blend with the memories of director Eva’s childhood and reflections on the bird community. The perspective of the long-time resident director juxtaposed with that of the birds. Research on the oldest living species on Earth thus shifts the local urban problem to a global philosophical level: What does our behaviour, settlement and coexistence say about the future of our species? Is it pragmatism or imagination that will help humanity survive on this planet?

SK, 2024, 70 min.; sk / en sub