A surreal and poetic drama, Bleeding Blue Bird follows a theatre troupe in rehearsal for Maurice Maeterlinck’s The Blue Bird when an actor abandons his role mid-performance. The director steps in, and the fragile line between stage and reality collapses.
Darvill’s commanding performance anchors the film’s hallucinatory narrative, with Hannah Arterton joining him in a cast that bridges stage intensity with screen presence. “
"Arthur has an extraordinary presence,” says director Lev Prudkin. “He doesn’t just play a role, he holds the space. That charged connection between actor and audience is at the heart of this film.
The reaction in New York showed exactly why he was the one to lead it.” Arthur Darvill is best known for his performances in Doctor Who and Broadchurch. In Bleeding Blue Bird, he takes on one of his most unconventional roles to date.
His performance carries the film’s central themes of transformation and fractured identity, bringing a sharp emotional edge to Prudkin’s surreal vision.
The film is directed by Lev Prudkin, whose previous feature No-One earned more than ten international awards.
His work is defined by bold formal experimentation and a deep engagement with theatrical language, positioning him among the most distinctive emerging European filmmakers.
Bleeding Blue Bird is produced by Vladimir Prudkin through Mirage Adventures Studios, with Michael Riley of Sterling Pictures (UK) serving as Executive Producer. Riley’s past credits include Sugarhouse, Chosen, and Crowhurst, bringing significant independent production experience to the project.
The film’s soundscape plays a crucial role, fusing avant-garde electronic compositions with tracks by Depeche Mode, Actress, and Else. This immersive combination of sound and image deepened the audience response at Chelsea and underlined the film’s distinctive identity.
Bleeding Blue Bird merges surrealist imagery with theatrical language, offering audiences a haunting reflection on performance, spectatorship, and artistic legacy.
Frequently Asked Questions
Arthur Darvill is a British actor known for his performances in Doctor Who and Broadchurch. In Bleeding Blue Bird, he takes on one of his most unconventional and immersive roles.
Arthur Darvill leads the film’s ensemble cast, anchoring its surreal and hallucinatory narrative. His commanding presence bridges stage intensity with cinematic performance, holding the emotional center of the story.
Bleeding Blue Bird is a surreal and poetic drama about a theatre troupe rehearsing Maurice Maeterlinck’s The Blue Bird. When an actor abandons his role, the director steps in and the fragile line between stage and reality collapses, leading to a hypnotic unraveling.
“Arthur has an extraordinary presence,” says director Lev Prudkin. “He doesn’t just play a role, he holds the space. That charged connection between actor and audience is at the heart of this film.”
The film is directed by Lev Prudkin, whose previous feature No-One earned more than ten international awards. His work is known for bold formal experimentation and deep engagement with theatrical language.
The film is produced by Vladimir Prudkin through Mirage Adventures Studios, with Michael Riley of Sterling Pictures serving as Executive Producer. Riley’s past credits include Sugarhouse, Chosen, and Crowhurst.
The soundscape plays a crucial role, fusing avant-garde electronic compositions with tracks by Depeche Mode, Actress, and Else. This immersive blend deepens the film’s atmosphere and amplifies its emotional impact.
The film explores transformation, fractured identity, performance, spectatorship, and artistic legacy. It merges surrealist imagery with theatrical language to create a haunting cinematic experience.