Indie Gems: A Pigeon Sat on a Branch Reflecting on Existence

What do birds think about?

Jonathon (Holger Andersson) and Sam (Nils Westblom) are down on their luck traveling salesmen in the party favor business. The film has several vignettes, and not all are tied together in the traditional sense. Jonathon and Sam just happen to reoccur the most.

The film starts off with three stories of death, a man dying of a heart attack while opening a bottle of wine, an old woman in the hospital who refuses to part with her handbag (she's going to take it to heaven) and the police investigating a man who seems to have died at a cafeteria. Then we eventually meet our two salesmen and see how unhappy they are.

These avant garde films are definitely not for everyone. I'm not even sure they're for me. But there was something intriguing about this film's utter randomness. There were a few vignettes I found very uncomfortable (A dance class with a teacher way too hands on, two lovers lying on a beach) and others that had an air of humor in their bleakness. (Soldiers in what looked like older uniforms riding into a bar on a horse and ordering all the women to leave, and the old lady with the purse I mentioned) I also found it interesting how sometimes we'd learn a little more about the previous story by paying attention to what is happening in the background of a next one. It tied together well, and rarely felt stagnant.

I don't think I'll be making a habit of watching films like this, but I'm glad I saw this one. Of course I would, look at that glorious movie title. It never once felt pretentious either. Every shot, no matter how random felt like it had a point.

Grade: B-

Memorable Quote: "You can sleep in His Majesty's tent tonight." - Captain (Ola Stensson)