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'Somehow you become the chicken': inside the film about people-smuggling told through the eyes of a hen
Eight birds play the lead in Hen – one for running scenes, one for pecking, one for staying still. And there’s even a cockerel love interest. Director György Pálfi explains why it’s his most normal movie yet
TL;DR
- Director György Pálfi's film 'Hen' is told from the perspective of a factory-farmed chicken.
- Pálfi created the film after being unable to produce work in his home country of Hungary due to political oppression under Viktor Orbán's regime.
- The narrative follows a hen's escape from industrial farming and intertwines with a human story of a restaurateur involved in people-smuggling.
- Eight different hens were trained to play the lead role, each chosen for specific skills like running, pecking, or staying still.
- The film's production involved a unique hierarchy where the chickens were prioritized over human actors due to a tight shooting schedule.
- Pálfi adopted a more conventional, classical Hollywood storytelling approach for 'Hen,' a departure from his experimental style.
- The film was shot from a low, chicken's-eye-level perspective, with no CGI used on the chickens themselves.
- 'Hen' aims to offer a clear-eyed view of human behavior and societal issues, prompting reflection on moral choices and the potential consequences.
- Pálfi hopes to continue making films in Hungary and plans a trilogy of animal-centric films, starting with a story about a monkey.