Eight birds are the stars of the film titled ‘Hen’ – each chosen for specific actions: one for running, one for pecking, one for remaining still, and there’s even a cockerel playing the role of a love interest. Director György Pálfi describes it as his most conventional movie to date.
If oppressive regimes unintentionally inspire powerful artistic acts of defiance, then ‘Hen’ could be considered a parting artistic offering from Viktor Orbán’s far-right government. This captivating and original film, narrated from the viewpoint of a hen, came into existence only after Hungarian filmmaker György Pálfi found himself unable to create in his homeland. Orbán’s 16-year tenure marked by cronyism eliminated any possibility of securing film funding in Budapest, forcing Pálfi – a director known for his eight exceptionally original films, including his nearly silent 2002 debut ‘Hukkle’ and the visually arresting and grotesque ‘Taxidermia’ from 2006 – into exile.
Seeking a universal narrative that he could convey even when filming in a culture or country he didn’t fully grasp, Pálfi and his co-writer and partner, Zsófia Ruttkay, decided to focus on the biopic of a factory-farmed chicken. The hen makes its escape from its grim, industrial birthplace in Greece. Through its naturally comical, beady eyes, the audience witnesses the unfolding of a contemporary Greek tragedy. This narrative sees a struggling restaurateur become entangled in the brutal world of human smuggling.
“Somehow You Become the Chicken”: Inside the Film About People-Smuggling Told Through a Hen’s Eyes
In György Pálfi’s film, ‘Hen,’ eight birds take center stage, each fulfilling specific roles – from running and pecking to holding still. A cockerel even features as a romantic interest. Pálfi himself characterizes it as his most straightforward film yet.
The film ‘Hen’ emerges as a compelling and original artistic statement, potentially a defiant farewell from Viktor Orbán’s far-right regime, born from the very suppression it inadvertently inspires. Director György Pálfi’s inability to produce films in Hungary under Orbán’s 16 years of cronyism led him into exile. This challenging environment pushed him to find a universally understandable story. He and his partner and co-writer, Zsófia Ruttkay, chose to tell the life story of a factory-farmed chicken.
The narrative follows the hen as it escapes its bleak, industrial origins in Greece. Through the hen’s simple, often humorous perspective, the audience experiences a modern Greek tragedy. The story revolves around a struggling restaurateur who becomes ensnared in the grim reality of human trafficking.