Bird power

Kauwboy is a heartwarming tale about companionship and coming to terms with loss.

Film: Kauwboy
Director:

Members-of-the-film-fraternity-L-R-Ashutosh-Gowariker-Shyam-Benegal-Jaya-Bachchan-Ramesh-Sippy-and-Sridevi-extreme-R-during-the-opening-ceremony-of-14th-Mumbai-Film-Festival-at-NCPA-Mumbai-Photo-by-Kunal-Patil-Hindustan-Times

Boudewijn Koole

Synopsis:

Jojo is a 10-year-old Dutch boy who lives with his father, who is frequently absent due to work obligations. According to Jojo, his mother — a country singer — is on tour. His father doesn’t seem to be going through a good time. Jojo is one of the stars of his school’s water polo team. One day, he finds a jackdaw and adopts it. Taking care of the bird, which is even more vulnerable than him, gives Jojo a feeling of happiness and responsibility.

Kauwboy is a heartwarming tale about companionship and coming to terms with loss. The 10-year-old protagonist of the film, Jojo, one day accidentally finds a baby jackdaw. He befriends it and makes it his secret companion (his father does not allow pets).

How Jojo’s friendship with the bird, who he names Jack, grows into something special forms the rest of the story. Jojo’s father suffers from mood swings and Jojo feels he knows little about him. The man is shot mostly from behind or covered behind objects, showing how deeply the film follows Jojo’s perspective. A must-watch.

by Sujay Nair (SK Somaiya College)