Program Note
Irene is invited by Louie, her husband-to-be, to his bachelor party deep in the outback. Surrounded by the groom’s childhood friends, the uneasiness of being there soon becomes full-blown tension, leading to a night of revelations and emotional crashes.
Another genre gem from Australia, Birdeater is a feature directorial debut for Jack Clark and Jim Weir, a thought-provoking tale on toxic masculinity and unhealthy relationships. The directing duo throws the audience into Irene’s mindset: Like her, we are also trapped in a cabin with a bunch of badly behaving men. The duo deliberately slows down the pace to let audiences discover who these characters are, then assaults us during the latter half with marvelous editing tactics accompanied by spectacular music scores. Birdeater is a unique piece of filmmaking on the edge by a talented duo with a bright future ahead. (Jongsuk Thomas NAM)