The Cannes Film Festival 2024 has kicked off and filmmakers are giving some exciting insights into the making of the films shortlisted for the screening this year. One of the interesting entries for the festival this year includes ‘Bird‘ starring Barry Keoghan.
Directed by Andrea Arnold, the film is a Cannes competition entry, but its origin comes from a rather unconventional inspiration. During the film’s press conference on Friday, Arnold shared that her initial visual prompt was a bizarre image that left her uncertain about the character’s nature. Here’s what she said.
‘Bird’ Director Andrea Arnold Reveals Her Strange Inspiration Behind The Film
‘Bird‘ director Andrea Arnold did not hold back while opening up about the most unconventional inspiration behind the film. The director, who was speaking about the film during Cannes Film Festival, said she imagined “a tall, thin man with a long penis, standing on a roof,” and that was her chief inspiration behind the movie.
“A very long time ago, I had the image a tall, thin man with a long penis, standing on a roof,” she said during the press conference for the film on Friday. “But I didn’t know if he was good or bad or what he was,” she added.
From this peculiar starting point, Arnold developed a social realist drama about a marginalized family living by the British seaside and an unexpected visitor who becomes close to a young girl entering puberty.
The film stars Barry Keoghan and Franz Rogowski in lead roles. Meanwhile, Arnold has also given a platform to many first-time actors in the film. In the film, Keoghan portrays the character of Bug, a tattoo-covered young father struggling to care for his two children. One among his children is his lonely and confused 12-year-old daughter Bailey, played by Nykiya Adams. Rogowski’s character, Bird, is an eccentric outsider who enters Bailey’s life unexpectedly as the story unfolds.
In case you missed it: “You Feel F***ing Exposed”: Johnny Depp Confesses Feeling Insecure And Afraid Following His Return To The Cannes Film Festival
Barry Keoghan Has Always Wanted To Star In An Andrea Arnold Film
‘Bird‘ is a dream come true for Barry Keoghan as he had long aspired to work with Andrea Arnold. He was therefore an easy choice for the director. The actor reportedly did not hesitate to join the project, and jumped at the opportunity even without reading the script.
“I’ve been saying in interviews since 2014 that I wanted to work with Andrea, saying it over and over again,” he said. “And then the opportunity came up. I wasn’t given a script or anything like that. It was a no-brainer.”
The actor also drew parallels between the family at the center of the film and his own upbringing in Summerhill, known for being one of the most economically deprived areas of Dublin. “There’s lots of similarities,” he said, adding that in his character he saw the same traits in men he knew from back home. “He’s a pure chancer.”
The film is seemingly up for some great results as it received a seven-minute standing ovation at its world premiere in the Palais on Thursday. The film marks Arnold’s return to the social realist genre, reminiscent of her previous works ‘Red Road‘ and ‘Fish Tank‘.
You might also like to read:
