Hen

The main character of the new film by acclaimed Hungarian director György Pálfi is the eponymous hen. This seemingly defenseless animal escapes from an industrial poultry farm in search of a safe place to raise her chicks.   

She ends up in a Greek coastal village, where she is captured by the owner of a run-down restaurant and, by force of circumstance, “enters” the human world. She is a keen observer of a reality that is completely foreign to her. She also becomes a silent witness to human dramas related to the migration crisis, family conflicts, and greed. Eight real Hungarian hens – Eszti, Szandi, Feri, Enci, Eti, Enikő, Nóra, and Anett – play the role of the main character.

 

By adopting an unconventional perspective, Pálfi explores universal values – freedom, security, motherhood – which, as we see, are sought not only by humans. The Hungarian director boldly blends film genres, creating a story that, on the one hand, entertains us, and on the other, is truly moving.