© 2025 Melissa Frateantonio
鳥のように (Tori no you ni)
Like a Bird
A short film by Melissa Frateantonio, 2023
Supported by the ICA and Other Cinemas
Official Selection Queer East Film Festival 2025
Debut screening at the Institute of Contemporary Arts London 2024
Synopsis
Hee-chan, a Japanese woman now in her fifties, moved to London from Tokyo when she was eighteen. She hasn't returned to live there since. The short film follows a phone call with her mother back in Tokyo, where reminisce about Hee-chan's childhood dream to be a bird.
About the Director
Melissa is an emerging artist-filmmaker from London, UK with Japanese-Italian heritage. Their work moves at the intersection of experimental film, illustration and design. Their debut short, 'Like a Bird' (2023), was prompted by the question of what it is for isolated diaspora to feel rooted. This project was supported by Other Cinemas and the Institute of Contemporary Arts London.
Credits
HEE-CHAN Hiromi Frateantonio
HEE-CHAN’S MOTHER Junko Shibuichi
DOP, Director & Producer Melissa Frateantonio
Camera Assistant Matteo Frateantonio
Production Assistant Kanata Shibuichi
Sound Mixer/Music Composition Takashi Shibuichi
Subtitles & Translation Melissa Frateantonio
Editors Melissa Frateantonio, Eleanor Humphrey
Trailer Editor Eleanor Humphrey
Graphics and Poster Design Melissa Frateantonio
SPECIAL THANKS TO
Maia Frateantonio, Betty Ignatova, Arwa and Turab at Other Cinemas and ICA London