Hen: Movie Review

Director György Pálfi.

The old adage of why did the chicken cross the road is given a new spin in this film from Hungarian director György Pálfi.

Encompassing both birth and death, Hen begins with the laying of an egg inside the confines of a factory farm for chickens. As the little chick breaks free, chirping away, life seems full of possibilities - but because of the colour of the little chick (black), the hen's plucked away from those going to slaughter and taken by a lorry driver as a feal to have at home.

However, when the hen leaps out of the cab window at a fuel station out of curiosity, it encounters a new world of adventure - and danger - as it ends up at a seafood taverna, and whose owner is living a double life.

Much like Eo did, Hen presents a sympathetic and almost simplistic way of animal life, looking to humans for salvation, empathy and company. And much like Eo, there's a distinct danger in every interaction that the plucky hen faces. Whether it's a fox stalking on the side of the road or the pecking order within the hen house, Pálfi's film offers a humanistic and grounded approach to the class reality of the animals.

There's humour within too - and shocks (one scene sees the hen inadvertently cause a massacre) but Pálfi never loses his eye for what makes this universal tale so engaging. Sure, there's a human allegory here and a tale that shows an insight into life in Greece, Europe, human trafficking and the migrant journey, but the film never looks to be overly didactic and instead concentrates on ensuring that what plays out is thoughtful and moving.

With its thriller edges and some murderous moments, this is a strangely uplifting film that shows once again, the most effective of tales can come from this simplest of executions.

Hen is playing at the New Zealand International Film Festival - for screening times, visit nziff.co.nz