Becoming Bird

Jan van IJken / Netherlands / 2026 / World Premiere / 9 min.

synopsis

This time-lapse documentary condenses the entire 21-day development of a chicken – from fertilised egg to the hatching of the chick – into a nine-minute film. In microscopic detail and in full colour, we observe the early stages of life within the fragile shell, which so often cracks prematurely at the hands of humans seeking to satisfy their base appetites.

“What is particularly interesting I think, is that the basics of embryonic development are the same for all animals, including us. I think the way we develop is a true miracle.” — Jan van IJken

Source: Colossal

biography

Jan van IJken (1965) is a Dutch photographer and filmmaker whose work straddles the boundary between art and science. He specialises in microscopy, embryology and the animal world; his work has appeared in National Geographic and on BBC Planet Earth III. At Ji.hlava IDFF, he has presented Becoming (2018), The Art of Flying (2015) and Planktonium (2021).

film details

director:	Jan van IJken
producer:	Jan van IJken
photography:	Jan van IJken
editing:	Jan van IJken, Metje Postma
music:	Sytze Pruiksma
sound design:	Harry Zwerver