search

Tito and the Birds

Tito and the Birds

In a society gripped by growing mistrust and paranoia, we are well advised to heed the wisdom of our feathered friends. That’s the gist of “Tito and the Birds,” an appealing Brazilian animated feature, and it’s conveyed in a handsome, expressive style that’s pleasing to watch.

The problem, says the film, is that while in earlier days the human race was in much closer touch with avians and knew their language, we have now forgotten it. The movie’s hero, 10-year-old Tito (voice of Pablo Henriques), is on a mission to fix that. It’s an uphill battle because, where the boy lives, things are not going well at all.

The animation style makes frequent use of colorful backgrounds painted in oils, with Expressionist emphasis on brushstrokes. There’s a human quality to these visuals, which are pointedly not striving for perfection, but revel instead in supposed defects like smudges, jittery lines, color blotches and distorted proportions.

It’s a nice choice to illustrate what filmmakers Gabriel Bitar, André Catoto and Gustavo Steinberg have in mind, to suggest an innovative and uplifting remedy for dark political times. In Tito’s world, the citizenry is in thrall to an authoritarian whose televised rants aim to cow his listeners with allegations that, for instance, a terrifying crime wave is sweeping the nation.

This fearmongering has a potent effect — an infection of social paralysis in which the victims are gradually reduced to petrified lumps, resembling slightly humanized potatoes.

Tito profits from the hard experiences of his absent dad, an eccentric scientist who years earlier tried to build a machine to translate bird language. An explosion that injured Tito resulted in the father’s banishment, leaving the boy to be raised by an overprotective mother (Denise Fraga).

With the help of  his young pals — brave Sarah (Marina Serretiello), Buiú (Vinicius Garcia) and Teo (Enrico Cardoso) — Tito sets out to re-create the machine, a tricky proposition, and liberate a populace that by now is afraid of everything.

Viewers of all ages can savor the film’s look, which remains vibrant and engaging despite some intentional ugliness and the frequently dark themes. Adults will find the political allegory amusing and timely. Younger viewers may not get that part of the movie but will surely respond to its message about the calamitous effects of fear and the importance of conquering it.

They could also get a kick out of a story in which the saviors of the world are preteens.

— Walter Addiego, Datebook

Tito and the Birds

Sun March 17, 2019, 2:00 PM Only, Muenzinger Auditorium

Brazil, 2018, in Portuguese with English subtitles, Color, 73 min • official site

recommend

Tickets

10 films for $60 with punch card
$9 general admission. $7 w/UCB student ID, $7 for senior citizens
$1 discount to anyone with a bike helmet
Free on your birthday! CU Cinema Studies students get in free.

Parking

Pay lot 360 (now only $1/hour!), across from the buffalo statue and next to the Duane Physics tower, is closest to Muenzinger. Free parking can be found after 5pm at the meters along Colorado Ave east of Folsom stadium and along University Ave west of Macky.

RTD Bus

Park elsewhere and catch the HOP to campus

International Film Series

(Originally called The University Film Commission)
Established 1941 by James Sandoe.

First Person Cinema

(Originally called The Experimental Cinema Group)
Established 1955 by Carla Selby, Gladney Oakley, Bruce Conner and Stan Brakhage.

C.U. Film Program

(AKA The Rocky Mountain Film Center)
First offered degrees in filmmaking and critical studies in 1989 under the guidance of Virgil Grillo.

Celebrating Stan

Created by Suranjan Ganguly in 2003.

C.U. Department of Cinema Studies & Moving Image Arts

Established 2017 by Chair Ernesto Acevedo-Muñoz.

Thank you, sponsors!
Boulder International Film Festival
Department of Cinema Studies & Moving Image Arts

Looking for a gift for a friend?
Buy a Frequent Patron Punch Card for $60 at any IFS show. With the punch card you can see ten films (a value of $90).

We Want Your Feedback

Cox & Kjølseth
: Filmmaker Alex Cox & Pablo Kjølseth discuss film topics from their own unique perspectives.

Z-briefs
: Pablo and Ana share Zoom-based briefs on what's currently playing at IFS

Search IFS schedules

Index of visiting artists

Mon Apr 1, 2024

Hot Shots! Part Deux

At Muenzinger Auditorium

Sat Apr 20, 2024

Super Mario Bros.

At Muenzinger Auditorium

more on 35mm...