LFF 2024: Bird

Young Bailey feels caged in her Gravesend squat home. Reckless wannabe drug dealer dad Bug plans to marry his new girlfriend. Older brother Hunter plots to elope with his underage partner. Meanwhile, across town, Bailey’s near-feral younger siblings are menaced by her mum’s new and violent lover. Small wonder she’s intrigued by the enigmatic Bird, a flighty free spirit searching for his own roots. Andrea Arnold (Fish Tank, American Honey) once again displays her wondrous ability to infuse coming-of-age stories focused on marginalised lives with uncompromising grit and a sensual connection to nature.

Bird sees Arnold pushing in new directions, incorporating not just social, but magical realism – an unexpectedly transformative addition that helps her wild, shapeshifting film soar.