There is a severe lack of coming-of-age films featuring Black girls. Which is why Birdie stood out in the Sundance Film Festival shorts program. Written and directed by Praise Odigie Paige, the story follows a 16-year-old Nigerian refugee in 1970s Virginia. English (Eniola Abioro) watches on as her mother, Celeste (Sheila Chukwulozie), and sister Birdie (Precious Maduanusi) begin to butt heads as they all hope their father will return. Meanwhile, the trio agrees to take in a man, Justus (Said Marshall), who seemingly has eyes for Birdie.
Family dramas are the best dramas because all of us have familial baggage. It’s relatable and accessible to see mothers and daughters go to war. Or sisters start to wonder if their allegiance is as unbreakable as they thought. Hell, we even love a devastating dinner scene (looks at Hereditary). So, the family dynamic works in Birdie’s favor. I’m nosy enough to want to know more and leaned in even when I was starting to worry this short was going to feel unfinished.
Paige has made a gorgeous short that serves as an engaging enough introduction to this family. However, it very much feels like the tip of a longer story. We’re left wanting to know how Birdie and Justus’ situation shakes out. We suspect the father is actually dead and his family really doesn’t want to face it, but could use more details. Or a explanation if something else is going on with this looming presence, we never get to actually meet. More importantly, we are stuck wanting more time with English, who seems to be telling Birdie’s story. Which makes us wonder what her deal is and what she really thinks about all of this. It also feels a bit unfinished, seeing as she doesn’t have a character arc and kind of serves as a witness and narrator.
All of that said, the cast is gorgeous, and Birdie is compelling enough to draw an audience in. The cast also gives stellar performances that made me immediately run to their IMDB pages to see what else they have been in. There are also some chuckles to be found in the group of nuns who visit Celeste and the girls. There is a ton of really great stuff here, but it sadly feels unfinished in so many ways. However, it’s amazing to see Birdie enter the chat, as we are constantly bombarded by white coming-of-age stories. This is to the detriment of everyone, as it excludes so many kids who grow up never getting the representation they deserve.
Another thing working in Birdie’s favor is timing. Watching three women who have survived unimaginable circumstances work through more mundane issues. They are not panicked about the war that led to them moving to Virginia, and even the father’s probable death takes up very few lines of dialogue. That is all background noise as they attempt to figure out their new normal. Much like a lot of us, they have had to make peace with the world being on fire in the background as they try to live their lives.
While Birdie leaves me wanting more and opens doors to a lot of questions, it’s a refreshing change of pace. Highly recommend it if you, too, grew up on independent cinema and/or coming-of-age movies and wondered where the Black folks are. It has been time to reopen that cannon and explore narratives about people from other countries, other genders, etc. If nothing else, Birdie leaves you wondering what other stories we’re being deprived of.
