Written and directed by György Pálfi, co-written by Zsófia Ruttkay, escaping from a chicken farm, a hen finds refuge in the courtyard of a crumbling restaurant. There, she discovers love, confronts the pecking order, and fights to protect her eggs from a greedy owner. Her droll yet touching quest for motherhood mirrors the messy compromises and silent struggles of human lives. Starring: Yannis Kokiasmenos, Maria Diakopanagiotou, Argyris Pandazaras, Antonis Kafetzopoulos and Antonis Tsiotsiopoulos.
György Pálfi kicks Hen off on a bold note and establishes the strong style that will follow for the rest of the film right from the get-go. That style is a huge part of what keeps you invested in this charismatic chicken’s story because the editing and the directorial choices add a lot of personality. The cinematography from Giorgos Karvelas is excellent work, adding so much sharpness which really helps to elevate and enhance the background layers and themes of the film.
Watching the determination and resilience of animals unfold is just as much, if not more, entertaining as with humans. To explore that mix of grit and fate, while also telling a story of human trafficking and its many victims, through the eyes of an accidental observer was a great choice. The themes come through strongly, it makes its points clear. Pálfi keenly captures the blend of sadness, disillusionment and a glimmer of hope, which allows it to pack an emotional punch.
For the most part it moves well but it can start to stretch itself a little thin in the middle, it eventually makes up for that with the ending, but it does demonstrate that this concept can really only take things so far. It’s still good but those limitations will likely mean that a fair few people may struggle with Hen as patience is not always in abundance. Although when the humans do get a little more involved, it does add some variety and spark a new energy which helps see the film through to the ending.
Hen is brilliantly shot, both in the quality in its aesthetic and its directorial choices. If it were to be judged purely on that basis, it would be top notch, but the story and progression unfortunately don’t manage to match that level. It certainly works and it’s nice to see such a relevant topic being approached in a unique way, but it struggles to sustain momentum. It portrays a great deal of talent and creativity on the part of György Pálfi, and it has a lot of personality and an engaging tone and atmosphere to offer, but it isn’t without its flaws.
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