White Bird is set for release Oct. 4 across North America, bringing its tale of a young Jewish girl who, while hiding in Nazi-occupied Europe, comes to befriend a disabled boy her classmates previously bullied and avoided.
As told by executive producer Kevin Downes, the film's plot is a continuation of the team's 2017 film Wonder, which starred Julia Roberts and Owen Wilson. The producer said White Bird picks up right where the last film left off.
“We open the film with Julien, the main antagonist from Wonder. He has been expelled from school and has been thrown into a new opportunity to continue his bullying ways. His grandmother (played by Helen Mirren) who grew up in the heart of the Second World War decides to tell him the story of her past, and that is where our movie is set,” said Downes.
An emotional plot that displays the truths of oppression, hatred, anti-Semitism and war throughout, yet conflicting themes of love, selflessness and acceptance shine through as the movie progresses.
“We have flashbacks of these young people traversing and navigating their way through Nazi-occupied France in a world that they did not ask for. To see the example of kindness and selfless sacrifice exhibited throughout the film is something that touched our hearts at Kingdom Story Company,” said Downes, co-founder and CEO of the production company.
“I was a basket of tears after watching it and it was something I wanted to show my three kids because the concept of kindness is critical no matter what age you are. It was something we thoroughly enjoyed — a movie that sticks with you for days and even weeks after you see it.”
White Bird is the film adaptation of White Bird: A Wonder Story written by famed children’s author R.J. Palacio. Downes praised director Marc Forster for his ability to navigate viewers through the characters of each film in a way both engaging and concise.
As the world away from the big screen continues to grapple with conflict throughout the Mideast, the film’s plot holds an increased sense of importance in our time. While the timing wasn't intentional, the people behind the scenes of White Bird did not shy away from the two entities' glaring coexistence.
“I do think the timing of it is actually very poignant, even God-ordained in a way," said Downes. "Our hope is something we pray for, which is that our film will resonate with society when it comes out. When people see these elements and components come together, we want it to be a kind of healing tool or ministry for folks. I think there is something really encouraging about that.”
The aspect of encouragement is seen throughout the film and is something the production team hopes is imparted in its audience. For Downes, the display of compassion and hope, even through the depths of war's chaos, gives him real-world hope that we all can do the same in our own lives.
“What the film taught me was that you can always flip a situation upside down and on its head by just having an authentic showing of kindness and selflessness in any given situation. To me, whenever I can learn something from my own films, that becomes the element of filmmaking that I love,” he said. “This movie will blow your mind in a theatrical venue and it is highly worth the opportunity to invite somebody to go with you because it will make for a good evening.”