The Sparrow in the Chimney

Synopsis

Karen and Markus live with their children in the idyllic countryside home of Karen’s youth. Markus’s birthday is approaching, offering the perfect occasion for a family get-together. As guests begin to arrive — everyone from their reclusive neighbor to their collegiate daughter to Karen’s impetuous sister — so do simmering resentments, snide gossip, and verbal slights. Still grieving the death of her overbearing mother, Karen’s mounting stress hurtles the family toward a fiery confrontation.

Masterfully crafted and expertly observed, The Sparrow in the Chimney explores the explosive, aggressive potential of everyday human interaction. The cramped country house becomes a character in itself, its ghosts seeming to haunt its inhabitants as they flit in and out of ingeniously cluttered frames, begging the question: Are we ever able to truly leave the past behind us?