The White Dove(Holubice)

Vláčil’s feature-length debut is a deceptively simple and startlingly effective tale of a young boy and a dove, how their lives intersect and how their relationship transforms them both. Beautifully shot in a serene monochrome that, perhaps unusually, amplifies the whites, rather than the shadows, to an almost ethereal degree. The film, adapted from an Otakar Kirchner short story, follows a dove as it veers off course, and is shot down over Prague by a reclusive wheelchairbound boy. The bird survives, and as it is nursed back to health, inspires both the boy and a neighbourly artist. Drawing its strength from its narrative simplicity and rich visual symbolism, The White Dove soars with unabashed optimism.

Venice Film Festival: In Competition

5/7(Sun): Seminar with Lau Yam and Mimi Wong