Double Feature: A Pigeon Sat on a Branch Reflecting on Existence & The Andersson Brothers

A PIGEON SAT ON A BRANCH REFLECTING ON EXISTENCE (dir. Roy Andersson, 2014)

Like modern times’ Don Quixote and Sancho Panza, Sam and Jonathan, two travelling salesmen peddling novelty items, take us on a kaleidoscopic wandering through human destinies. A trip that shows us the beauty of single moments, the pettiness of others, the humor and tragedy that is in us, life’s grandeur as well as frailty of humanity. With a panoramic view it is told by a bird reflecting on the human condition. The pigeon is astonished by the humans—their activities, follies, prides, and agitation, which he tries to make sense of and understand.

THE ANDERSSON BROTHERS (dir. Johanna Bernhardson, 2024)

Sibling relationships are the longest-lasting in life but often not the most cherished. The Andersson brothers grew up in a working-class home in Gothenburg. Roy became an internationally acclaimed filmmaker while Ronny ended up as a homeless man. Kjell became a documentary filmmaker, and Leif lives as a disability pensioner. Johanna Bernhardson makes her feature film debut with a story about how life can turn out so differently despite seemingly similar circumstances. Through the portrayal of her father Leif and her uncles – with alcohol as a common thread – she also tells a tale of inheritance that stretches generations backward (and forward) in time. At the same time, she tries to get the brothers to stop sulking and reunite – before it's too late.