Little Bird (Spanish: Pajarico) is a 1997 Spanish drama film written and directed by Carlos Saura which stars Paco Rabal, Alejandro Martínez, and Dafne Fernández.
Plot
The plot follows Manuel, or "Manu", a 10-year-old boy from Madrid arriving in the province of Murcia for a summer stay with his uncles so he can be away from his parents who are separating.[1][2] There he experiences puppy love with cousin Fuensanta.[2]
The story is freely based on Saura's childhood memories about his time in the Region of Murcia.[1]José Luis López Linares [es] worked as cinematographer whilst Alejandro Massó [ca] was responsible for the music and Julia Juániz [es] for editing.[4][2] The film is a Filmart production.[2]
Release
The film was presented in August 1997 at the 21st Montreal World Film Festival,[5] where Saura won the Best Director award.[6] It was released theatrically in April 1998.[7]
Reception
Leonard Klady of Variety wrote that the "story is undeniably genial and well observed, but lacks a central focus or a compelling dramatic tension".[2]
José Luis Sánchez Noriega [es] observed that despite being "a film with irregularities in its narrative development", Little Bird is still "a mature, serene movie, where the director reviews old themes with a more tender gaze".[8]
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