Synopsis
An enthralling hen’s eye view of the world from the quirky Hungarian director György Pálfi. With a cast of three properly trained real hens on rotation, plus five understudies; filmed in real locations without AI or CGI! As Hen blunders through a human world, becoming an unwitting witness to real-life events (reminiscent of The Tramp), Pálfi very effectively tells a wider story, putting humanity into sharp relief.
Starting with the arresting sight of a graphic anatomical close-up as a chicken lays an egg in a huge poultry factory in Greece, the dark-feathered ‘Hen’ is born. (As you are probably aware, this method of farming cares little about animal welfare, and you might find this sequence uncomfortable to watch.) Hen is immediately rejected by the other fluffy yellow chicks, then by the commercial market, and when she is about to be transported for slaughter, she gets the opportunity to escape. After a taste of freedom, she finds herself in a rundown coastal farm and taverna where the elderly owner confines her to a coop with other henpecked hens. From this standpoint, Hen serves as a silent spectator, becoming an unknowing observer as the restaurant is caught up in shady dealings and morally corrupt events.
There are comparisons to EO (Jerzy Skolimowski, 2022), but Hen has a lighter more naturalistic approach, with an injection of humour, visual gags and brilliantly apt music. A clever and engaging film which tackles some dark topics in a creative way - Hen’s story arc softens the shock of the human one - and we are rewarded with an upbeat ending (of sorts).
Language: Greek, English, Italian with subtitles
Additional Info
Why Watch?
“The film is an amazing feat of animal training and deft editing, and it’s all so weirdly cheering.” (The Guardian)
“The triumph of Hungarian filmmaker György Pálfi’s drama Hen is not just that it manages to tell a compelling narrative entirely from the point of view of its titular fowl, but that it gives the bird such a depth of emotion and expression that audiences will truly believe they know what the animal is thinking.” (Screen Daily)
Directors Comments - György Pálfi
György Pálfi Talks Logistical Challenges of Working with Eight Chicken Protagonists in Toronto Platform Title ‘Hen’ Variety, Sep 8, 2025
On working with chickens: “We wanted to work with the chickens in the same way that actors were filmed in classic American films, somewhere below eye level. We couldn’t dig the camera into the ground, so we used special periscope optics. It didn’t make the work any easier…!”
“Beyond the unquenchable inner necessity of creation, this film is also about individual responsibility and whether our own lives can be separated from the events around us.”
Location
Cheltenham Film Society, Bacon Theatre, Hatherley Rd, Cheltenham, GL51 6EP
