Céline Roustan

It’s Summertime in Austin, Texas. A bunch of teenagers spend their days hanging out, finding ways to keep busy while school is out. Between conversations, confessions and little adventures, every single one of these moments will help to build the adults that they’ll become. In Birds, writer/director Katherine Propper captures the mundanity of the Summer break with a disarming authenticity and sensibility, paradoxically refreshing us while immersing us into the Texas heat.

Birds has an undeniable universality, even though the Texan backdrop dictates the general mood and visual flair of the film, the core of the narrative is quite simple: We are witnessing teenagers growing up through the mundanity of their Summer. The premise is by no means groundbreaking, but where Propper defies expectations is in her naturalistic and authentic approach, which at times almost blurs the line between documentary and fiction. 

Initially, Propper shared with us that she was motivated by her desire to make “an ensemble film about multiple groups of friends that would create a portrait of experiences”, citing Harmony Korine’s Gummo and Richard Linklater’s Slacker as inspirations. Flexible about her process, instead of using a script she had written as her starting point, she decided to find her cast first. All first time actors, she penned her screenplay based on their own experiences: “I spent time hanging out with them and creating moments for them in the film that felt true to who they were” she explained.

“The cast was encouraged to improvise quite a bit” – director Propper discusses working with her young cast.

This gamble paid off, as the performances of her young ensemble cast are incredibly touching. While the roles were catered for each and every single one of them, their presence in front of the camera feels absolutely genuine and they all embody those versions of themselves with nuance, nailing that teenage hint of naïveté that we all fondly look back on. As they flesh out the mundanity of the premise, the young actors manage to engage the audience without relying on narrative gimmicks, but instead on how relatable and endearing their characters all are.

While the simplicity and honesty of the screenplay and performances set the tone, props should be given to the DP Sam Mohney whose visual flair is simply gorgeous. Not only are we immersed in that Texan Summer, the images are so captivating and visually pleasing, they contribute greatly to the positive and hopeful spirit of the film. Shot handheld and using natural light, the cinematography also works to reinforce the overall naturalism of the film, almost making it palpable.

Premiering online with The New Yorker, Birds had its world premiere at the New Orleans Film Festival, before receiving Special Mentions at Clermont-Ferrand and SXSW. Taking the festival circuit by storm, it has since been selected at the Palm Springs ShortFest, Oak Cliff, Rooftop and Oberhausen to name a few. Propper is currently in post-production on her first feature.