In 414 BC, Aristophanes wrote the comedy”Ornithes”, which means birds in Greek.
In this play, two Athenians leave theirhometown in search of a better life.
At the forest of the Birds they meetthe man who became a bird, Mr.
Hoopoe.
Together they convince the Birdsto build an ideal city on the clouds, to be known as Cloudcuckooland, and fence it with a great wall.
Humans learn the news about the Cityand arrive bringing their human habits.
The Gods get upset for the wall blocksthe smell of the sacrificed animals.
This film is inspired by that story.
Why do you want to become a bird? I want to become a bird, so that I can be up in the air.
So that I can fly and go around.
So that I can look fromhigh up and afar.
And get in tune with the wind.
So that I can go whereverthe wind takes me.
So that I can fly against the windwithout moving my hands.
So that I can stay stillagainst the wind and not fall.
My sharp beak will help meto stay in tune and cut the windas if it was a spoiler.
My hands will stay stillkeeping me in the same spot.
This is what I want.
BIRDS(Or How to Be One) STEP ONEBreak Your Egg In the beginning there was Chaos, Night, black Erebus and broad Tartarus, and there was no Earth, Air, Sky.
Inside the infinite arms of Erebus the Night unfolded its black wingsand unified with the wind.
And as the seasons changed, Eros sprang out, who lifts you like a whirlwind.
Then Eros made love to Chaos, and brought to life the race of Birds.
Eros decreed for everythingto come together.
Eros created the Birds.
One of the commonest birdsthat breeds in New York City is the American Robin, and theyactually nest in the craziest places.
There’s one nesting right here, almost at our head height.
There’s a female sittingon the eggs right now.
The Northern Mockingbird is anotherreally common bird in the city.
They’re very aggressiveand territorial.
These are laughing gulls; you canhear them calling as they fly by.
This is a migrating bird that probablyspent the winter in Mexico or Cuba, coming up here to breed.
That’s a Starling.
Starlings are a bird that’s alsointroduced here from Europe.
It’s very commonthroughout the city.
That’s a female Tully.
Usually you see themon the ground, but I guess there’s notmuch ground for them.
Could you name some of the birds? Ostrich.
Homebird.
Red Headed Woodpecker.
Macaw Parrot.
Mallard Duck.
And the Red Rooster.
Could you name some birdswithout using the cards? The Petrochelidon? -Good.
Another one?-Golden Eagle? Common Kestrel.
European Greenfinch, Cricket Swift.
Common Chaffinch.
The Sparrow.
That's all I remember.
Partridges, Crickets, Swifts, Alpine Swifts, Fast Seizers, Nightingales, Pigeons, Canaries, Peacocks, Peahens, Hoopoes, Sparrows, Bearded Vultures, Golden Eagles, Lammergeiers, Thrushes, Western Jackdaws, Hoopoe, Alpine Chough, Rough-legged Buzzards, Weaver Finches, Unitesticle Vulture, Orange-red-chest-banded Dotterel.
Sheld-apples, Spinks, Flycatcher Wheatears, Warblemumbler.
Do you want more? Come here.
You too.
All the colorful, monochrome, exotic, small, tiny birds.
Even huge, fat and monstrous, with three eyesand eighteen tails, and those whichI didn't get to know.
Those which I never heardanyone calling by their name.
Even you, who liveon the other side of Earth.
Even the coward, speechless, crazy, ugly like a duck, even you.
Everybody.
Everyone.
Let's gather here.
All the races of Birds.
Come here.
STEP TWOFind Your Voice How the Gods are paralyzedby this miracle.
“Estete” This balloon is used inthe theater play “The Birds”.
It symbolizes the combinationof Air and Earth, if you like.
In addition, it lifts the actors up, reducing the weightof their stage presence, as well as the gravityeffect on each person.
In the summertime, in August, there are times whenI dream that I'm flying.
However, I don't wake up disappointedthat it didn't happen for real, but satisfiedthat I actually flew.
Because, while it happens, during the dream, it is so vivid, it convinces me that it would make no difference, if it was happening for real.
-Have you ever dreamed of flying?-Yes, I have.
Was it intense? Yeah, back in the day.
It was very intense.
-I've never dreamed that.
-Never? At some point it stopped for me too.
Suddenly? Do youremember any dreams? It was a decision.
“Now I'm gonna dream it.
” -In your sleep?-Yes, like, “Now it's happening”.
And although August nights are hot, when I dream of flying, I don't sweat.
It's strange.
STEP THREEDeal With Gravity Gravity is a fact.
And it reminds me of mortality.
That if I fall down, I may never get up.
-Are you afraid of heights?-Yes, I am.
Very much.
Basically, they produce a flutteringsensation around my anus.
Or below my diaphragm.
But there is an explanation.
Maybe it's the attraction to the void.
I want to face it, becauseit creates a sense of satisfaction, a sense of enjoyment.
Despite that, I avoid heights.
I would really liketo be in the air.
This fear made me gofrom place to place.
I can't walk any longer.
I want to fly.
Why do you want to become a bird? Because I am bored and tired.
Because sometimes I'm so so sad, that I want to becomesomething else.
One who flies, who goes to Americaand Africa for free.
To take pictures.
To chase the warm weather.
To forget.
There's a way outwhen you're up there.
“We choose to go to the moon.
We choose to go to the moon inthis decade and do the other things, not because they're easy, but because they're hard.
Because that goal will serve to organize and measurethe best of our energies and skills, because that challenge is onethat we're willing to accept, one we are unwillingto postpone, and one which we intend to win, and the others, too.
” Where would you like to live? I want to live in a placewhere my best buddy will come to my door, first thing in the morning, and tell me, “Come by the house tomorrow, you, your wife and kids.
You'll be all clean and happy, cause I've invited people over, my son is getting engaged, and I want you by my side.
Otherwise, don't come aroundto see me in my grief.
” 01:23:09:00 01:23:12:09This is where I would like to live.
STEP FOURFind Your Forest Do you know whereyou would like to live? In the air.
I would like to relateto the north and south.
I would like to be led by the wind.
I wouldn't fall down, unless I wanted to.
And if I fell down, I wouldn't get hurt.
I want to have a closerelation to the wind.
I want to use gravityto my benefit.
That's the goal.
That's whywe're looking for Mr.
Hoopoe.
Mr.
Hoopoe, the manwho became a bird.
Who disappeared from the worldand lives with the birds.
This is who we're looking for, but I don't know much more.
I just follow.
I am just a driver.
Silence.
Why did you leave, Stratos?Why did you come so far away? Why does one go so far away? Because of fear.
I couldn't stand to, I wasn't strong enough to face the world, to integrate, to socialize.
So to speak! Why did I leave? The doctor called ita “psychological disorder”.
But in fact, darling, I said, “I'll leave and you'll be looking for mebut you will never find me!” Why's that? I needed peace.
Peace, a new start.
Boy, I just remembered something! I want to be born by the abandonedegg in the deserted forest.
No social conventionto dictate my actions.
Why did I leave? Because.
.
.
I don't know howto express it elegantly.
Just to be on your ownin the forest.
To live in peace and by the willof the present moment.
It's so beautiful.
I didn't listen neitherto birds nor to nature.
I listened to myself.
In the city, I was onlylistening to other people.
-Do you do bird watching?-Yes.
I’ve always liked birdssince I was a little kid.
And then I started lookingat the different species, and trying to learn moreabout the different species.
At some point I was trying to seeas many species as possible.
Now I don’t thinktoo much about that.
I like more to learnabout their habitats.
And their way of life.
Could you tell me if there is somecommon thing between humans and birds? What could be commonbetween humans and birds? They have a nest, we have a house.
They build nests, yes.
Maybe in some ways it’s easierto explain what is not in common.
What is not in common? So, when the bird is born, it comes with a package of knowledge.
And so a bird, a small bird, he knows how to build a nest.
When he’s one year old andhe has never in his life built a nest.
But he will find a partnerand they’re going to build a nest.
And they know how to do it.
The raven slept in the rock canyon During the winter cold night Many things can do him harm Many things can do him harm Before the beautiful day breaks His frozen nose appears From under a big rock I would like to havesome kind of suction in my cry.
I would like the tone of the suctionto indicate my mood, whether it isaggressive or protective.
Whether it's affectionate.
I'd rather it came from the outside inrather than the inside out.
I will try to demonstrate it.
Although I am not a bird yet.
This is how it soundswhen I am hungry.
Because it has a senseof hardship, quest and frustration.
If I got angrier, it could sound like.
.
.
STEP FIVETake Off, Land Which is harder, landing or taking off? In both cases you can die.
During landing, you can break your neck.
During take off, you can suddenly falland break your neck as well.
But if you ask me personally, which I guess iswhat you're doing, I prefer taking off.
-I am flying.
What am I feeling?-Freedom.
-And more!-Harmony.
Passing butterfly.
Happiness.
Now you have to fall.
-What do you feel?-Fear.
Fear.
Flight.
You earn 5, 000 per monthand you fly! You fly even to Bali.
Fall.
Crisis.
You break your legs, you land, you're gone.
I'm burned out due to a fall.
Every fall leads to a crash.
There's a crash.
What kind of bird are you? I'm a Woodpecker.
A bird-slave.
Slave to whom? To my boss.
When he became a hoopoe.
-To Mr.
Hoopoe?-Yes, to Mr.
Hoopoe.
Before he became a bird, Mr.
Hoopoe was human.
Anyway.
Mr.
Hoopoe? Mr.
Hoopoe? Mr.
Hoopoe? I was in the middle of nowhere.
In the desert of the world.
It was like an old womanwho was saying so much.
She put me in sucha difficult position.
Where was that? No idea! So you didn't knowhow to deal with it? You know, you can only talk about thingsthat you didn't experience.
Like fantasies, stories.
-Stories and fantasies?-Yes, your imagination explodes.
Mr.
Hoopoe? Mr.
Hoopoe? There's no bird, no Mr.
Hoopoe.
We're just going around in circles.
Nothing, there's no bird, no Mr.
Hoopoe.
The Birds?Where are the Birds? Mr.
Hoopoe? How can I believe, said the man, That no utopiasare left in the world How can I believe, said the man, The universe is in ruins Even if it is.
.
.
Even if death is just silence.
How can I believe, said the man, That no utopias exist anymore How can I believe, said the man, That there are no utopias left If you, sweet girl, audacious, eternal, If you are my utopia.
Humans are coming.
STEP SIXLive With Other Birds Humans are coming.
I missed a stitch.
Humans are coming.
Partridge.
Stork.
Comber.
Thousands, myriads.
Let's build a city.
Our city of Cuckoolandis in the clouds.
Easy, easy! My little Cloudcuckooland! Mr.
Hoopoe? Mr.
Hoopoe? Is that Christos? This film is post-modern, well done, Babis dear.
Mr.
Hoopoe? This film is not about birds.
It's about us being crazy as loons.
You put him in New Yorksquawking like a goose, and you expect me, an uneducated chick, to understand what you're trying to say! About Birds and ancient comedy.
Come on, Babis, I'm a customer here too, I need to understand! I don't want to take psycho drugsbefore watching the film! My name is Babis andI'm the director of the film.
How's life with the Birds? Life with the Birds? How can I say?I don't know.
It's nice.
-Will you manage to become a bird?-I'm sure I will.
Will you manage to surviveamong other Birds? I believe so.
I believe that the Birds won't haveanything to lose by taking me in.
I will be able to integrate.
Let me tell you one more thing.
You often see flying birds.
A hunter passes byand shoots a bird.
The other birdsaren't stopping for the funeral.
The bird is dead anyway.
The rest carry on living.
They can't stop, fear is motivating themto continue.
This is survival.
Then you pluck the feathers.
You put one on your hatand the rest in your belly.
In other words, a catastrophe.
Don't let the species survive.
STEP SEVENSurvive What about when theystrangle you, the birds? And the butcher knife hitsyour neck and chops it off.
Your body remains alone, running around without a head.
And the blood flows like a fountainand reaches your head in the ground.
In the mud.
And then they tie upyour legs, all together, they put you in big sacks, and throw youin kitchens with white tiles.
Then they stuff their entire handsinto your inwards and they tear out your heart, your spleen, your liver.
They scorch you in hot waterand sear your feathers.
They saute you in olive oil with onion, garlic, parsley and fennel, They serve you in huge dishesand chop you up with the cutlery, you become tasty bites.
Then their salivary glandspush you to the pharynx and stomach.
Then from the small to the largeintestine and then to the colon.
And finally they shit you out, you end up being a piece of shit.
ARISTOPHANESGRILL HOUSE The souls of birdsthat die by a human hand usually live in tall treeswith large branches, which often reachpeople's balconies.
When the wind blowsand the leaves rustle, the living birds consider itto be the voice of a dead bird's soul.
As a sign of respect they furl uptheir wings when they pass by.
When one of those treesis cut or burned by lightning, the spirit of the dead birdis considered homeless.
The spirit wanders the citylike a ghost.
It is doomed to this existence.
In some trees, mainly in big forests, demons' spirits find shelter, spirits of nightmarish birds.
Those trees are haunted.
The indigenous people cutthe contaminated branches and turn them into sawdust.
They believe that the spirit ofthe dead bird vanishes with the branch.
Would you get along wellwith the birds? “This is a summary of what actionsare contained in my executive orders.
The Secretary of Homeland Securityworking with myself and my staff will begin immediate constructionof a border wall.
So badly needed.
You folksknow how badly is needed.
As a help but very badly needed.
” The city of the Birdswill be unique.
All the surroundings, the airand everything in between will be blocked by bricks, which will make up a great wall.
Like in Babylon.
After that we'll demandsovereignty from Zeus.
And if he refuses, we will declare war.
A holy war.
We won't allow the Gods to hangaround our city and fuck our girls.
First of all Zeus, that fuckhead.
Bring Zeus here in front of me, now.
Die, motherfucker! Die now! -I order now.
-Order! -Are you ruling?-I rule here.
STEP EIGHTFight Idiot human.
You thought you could playwith Gods, didn't you? You thought you could go againstthe Gods' will, didn't you? There is going to be only one trial, neither yours or mine.
That trial is the law.
A trial which will turn youand your generation upside down.
Zeus' ax will destroy youand your generation.
Fire and heavy smokewill hit your head.
His thunderbolts will burnyour entire body.
You'll be buried in flames.
You and your palace, your wall and all this bullshit! They'll be turned to ashes.
Everything shall be buried in ashes.
The best part is there, deep inside the ashes, because you'll hear Zeus' voicecalling your cute little name.
Idiotic humanity.
You're stupid! Idiots! Idiots.
.
.
Motherfuckers.
Do you think you can escapefrom what's coming? All the Birds are getting ready.
Can you imagine millions of Birdsover your heads? We're going to diga wide, endless trench, made of shit.
We're going to plant tall, thick, fat tree trunks made of shit.
And you'll be living inyour huge infinite shitty forest.
You'll be living your shitty lifein your endless shitty forest.
And the very first word to come out ofthe mouths of your shitty kids will be “shit”.
Has anyone listened to them? If you were a bird under attack, what would you do? Would you go to the limit? I would defend my nest.
There would be a conflict.
At first I would warn with my cry.
I would assumean aggressive posture.
In order to protect my nest, not to attack.
I would open my sharpand hard beak.
I would snap my beak and make deafening sounds.
If they didn't stopthreatening me, I would begin my assault.
I would attack them usingasymmetrical warfare tactics, while squawkingand snapping my beak.
Your little kids jump up and downon the gardens and cut flowers.
They yank outand uproot the flowers! Stop your naughty kids.
Your thugs.
Stop them.
I will slaughter you, your mother, your kid, your son, all your relatives, you're gone.
I'm mad.
I'm getting out of here.
Let's get them.
My eyes are hurting.
I'm losing my mind.
Zeus motherfucker! Where are the ducks? You'll be shouting my name, bitch.
-You'll die.
-Take that.
Shit! I can't stand it anymore.
Careful, my dear, you'll hurt yourself.
STEP NINEGet Wings Mr.
Hoopoe! Do you want to try sittinghere silently for a bit? Because once you were human, like us.
Things were going up and down, as they always do for us humans.
Then your nature changed.
You became a bird.
You flew away over the earth, over the sea, in circles.
Everything that humans areand everything that birds are too, you gatheredand put them in your head.
Everything that is human, you put it in your head.
All those things we don't know.
All the things we wantedto learn in my entire life.
In my entire life, I don't want anything more than this.
Tell me, tell us.
Show me, show us.
if you found a soft and cozy citylike a feather mattress, or the belly of a baby, becausewe need to lie down.
We are tired.
Tell us if you found anything nice.
A bit humane, too.
That's why we tried to find you.
I'm begging you.
I'm begging you.
.
