Lena Dunham‘s Catherine Called BirdyAn adaptation of the director’s favorite childhood book of the same name about a 13-year-old English girl coming of age in AD 1290 has its world premiere at the Toronto Film Festival.
Written and directed by the girls star-creator of Karen Cushman’s landmark coming-of-age novel, the film will hit theaters September 23, ahead of a Amazon Prime Video debut on October 7.
Catherine Called Birdy is set in the medieval English village of Stonebridge. Lady Catherine, better known as Birdy, has Stonebridge Manor as her playground, a house that, like the family, has seen better days.
Her greedy father sees his daughter as his way out of financial ruin by marrying her off to a rich man for money and land. But Birdy is feisty, smart and adventurous and ready to scare off any lover who comes in increasingly ingenious ways.
And when the meanest suitor of them all arrives, Birdy’s parents are presented with the ultimate test of love for their daughter. Dunham’s last movie, sharp stick, her first in over a decade, debuted on sundance.
Catherine Called Birdy starring Bella Ramsey, Lesley Sharp, Sophie Okonedo, Joe Alwyn, Isis Hainsworth, Dean-Charles Chapman, Paul Kaye, Billie Piper and Andrew Scott. The producers of the film are Eric Fellner, Tim Bevan, Dunham and Jo Wallett.
Toronto returns for a 47th edition from September 8-18, which will be in person, with Hollywood stars on red carpets and in theaters after two years of disruption by the pandemic.