On a recent trip to New York City, I witnessed, for the first time, the final hours of a pigeon’s life. She sat quietly on a busy sidewalk, watching the pedestrians and cars race by. Having lost both the ability and the will to fly, she would never leave that spot under her own power again. So, she sat, seemingly tranquil, taking it all in. With her chest puffed out and feathers slightly molted, she looked very tired but remained alert, as if she were fully aware of what was happening to her.
This moment gave birth to the concept of Dovecote. By definition, a dovecote is “a small compartmented house or box for domestic pigeons.” With the Giudecca Institution of Detention as my dovecote, I, along with my collaborator, Oscar-winning screenwriter Alexander Dinelaris, set out to explore themes of freedom and dignity, resilience and resignation. The story is told through the lives of the strong, complicated women incarcerated at Giudecca – women like our mothers, like our sisters, like my wife, Zoe Saldana, who acts in the film.
By stripping away the burdens of responsibility, dreams, and aspirations, my hope is that the film offers a raw examination of what it means to be truly free. Can liberation be achieved by shedding the layers of societal expectations and personal desires? Or does true freedom lie in embracing life’s complexities, even amid its challenges?
As Dovecote unfolds, it invites viewers to grapple with these profound questions and to contemplate the intricacies of human existence. Are we truly free when released from external constraints, or is freedom a state of mind that transcends the boundaries of our physical reality?
The film begins with the journey of a small boat navigating Venice’s impossibly beautiful canals, only to arrive at a prison. This journey becomes a metaphor for self-discovery and existential reflection. My prayer is that Dovecote inspires you to delve into the boundless depths of the human spirit.
