Cassowary (2026)
吉光
Director: Zhang Hanyi
Cast: Huang Miyi, Ruguang Wei, Liu Dan, Yang Bo
Did you know? In the film, the fire-eating bird is a visual metaphor for unresolved trauma, and its design was inspired by the real-life cassowary’s razor-sharp claws and vibrant throat colors, which the director studied at a wildlife sanctuary in Queensland.
Why Watch: In "Cassowary," a haunting blend of simmering family trauma and surreal symbolism unfolds as a silent grandmother, an alcoholic mother, and a restless daughter grapple with buried secrets on a remote island—until a mysterious fire-eating bird ignites their repressed emotions. Director Kim Kyung-mook crafts a visually arresting, slow-burn drama that uses the eerie airport bird-scarer job and a devastating house fire to explore cycles of silence and escape. Watch it for its raw, poetic storytelling and a cathartic climax that proves sometimes the most dangerous flames are the ones we keep inside.
On a secluded island, three generations of women—a grandmother, mother, and daughter—share a home. The grandmother spends her days in total silence, while the mother numbs her pain with alcohol. The younger brother remains stuck in a perpetual childhood. Choosing to escape, the daughter Su Min takes a job as a bird scarer at an airport. When a fire erupts at the family house, she returns to the island carrying a storm of conflicted emotions. The sudden appearance of a mysterious bird that breathes fire shatters the fragile calm, slowly digging up the family’s hidden secrets and long-suppressed feelings.