First Clip From the Ari Aster-Produced ‘Hen’ Follows One Determined Chicken’s Fight for Survival
Hungarian filmmaker György Pálfi has never been interested in conventional storytelling. Best known for surreal and often grotesque works like ‘Taxidermia’ and ‘Hukkle’, the director has now turned his attention to an unlikely protagonist in ‘Hen’, a drama told largely from the perspective of a chicken.
The film, known in Greek as ‘Kota’, is a co-production between Germany, Greece and Hungary, with horror filmmaker Ari Aster serving as an executive producer. It premiered in the Platform competition at the Toronto International Film Festival in September 2025, where it earned an Honourable Mention.
The story centers on a hen who escapes the horrors of an industrial farm and wanders until she finds refuge in the courtyard of a crumbling Greek seaside restaurant. There, while protecting her eggs, she becomes a silent witness to a much darker human drama tied to a human smuggling ring.
Pálfi co-wrote the screenplay with Zsófia Ruttkay, drawing on elements of ancient Greek tragedy. The film uses the bird’s struggle to explore moral responsibility, migration, motherhood and the uneasy relationship between humans and the creatures whose lives they control.
Now audiences are getting their first look at the hen’s journey. The Playlist has exclusively debuted an official clip from the film ahead of its U.S. theatrical release, as shared by The Playlist.
First clip from ‘HEN’ has been released. The film follows a hen who escapes a chicken farm and seeks to survive while protecting her eggs at a Greek restaurant. (Via: https://t.co/BaYNpzXImE) https://t.co/dYCBpD7fqO
— The Hollywood Handle (@HollywoodHandle) October 27, 2026
The roughly 1-minute, 35-second clip places viewers right alongside the feathered heroine as she navigates a bustling outdoor market. Surrounded by colorful umbrellas, stacked crates and sacks of potatoes, the hen picks her way through the stalls in a sequence that captures the film’s grounded, chicken’s-eye perspective.
One of the most impressive aspects of ‘Hen’ is its commitment to authenticity. Pálfi made an early decision that the chicken would remain real, shooting with real animals in real locations, a process that involved working with 8 different chicken performers.
That dedication paid off in an unexpected way. The film even won a visual effects prize in Greece, with Pálfi joking that the jury must have assumed the animal was computer-generated. “No, this is a real chicken,” he told Elle India.
The director has also spoken about wanting audiences to feel as though they become the chicken during the opening stretch. Achieving that required figuring out how to film an animal that cannot hit a mark or perform on command.
‘Hen’ has already made a strong impression on critics. Little White Lies singled out its opening image, an extended close-up of the hen laying an egg, as a contender for the most arresting opening shot of the year.
Festival audiences have described the film as an ambitious and genuinely gripping tragicomedy, praising its offbeat score and unusual point of view. Running 105 minutes, it blends animal adventure with darkly comic human drama.
‘Hen’ opens in U.S. theaters on November 6 through distributor Dekanalog. For arthouse fans looking for something truly different, it promises one of the most distinctive perspectives in cinema this year. With Aster’s backing and Pálfi’s singular vision, the film could become a cult favorite among audiences willing to see the world through a very different set of eyes.
Would you watch Hen, a drama told largely from a chicken’s perspective?
Have something to add? Let us know in the comments!
