Directed by Oliver Rihs, Caged Birds tells the true
story of the battle to reform Switzerland's antiquated prison system in the
1980s. Marie Leuenberger plays lawyer Barbara Hug, who forms an
uncomfortable alliance with escaped convict and counter-cultural
hero Walter Stürm (Joel Basman) in a bid to take on the system.
Caged Birds is available in the US through virtual cinemas
from February 25th. A UK/ROI release has yet to be announced.
Check out the trailer and poster below.
The official synopsis reads:
In CAGED BIRDS, Barbara “Babs” Hug (Marie Leuenberger, The Divine Order) is a young radical lawyer fighting Switzerland’s antiquated prison system in the 1980s, and finds it to be an endless, draining battle. One day, she’s approached by the country’s most wanted criminal, Walter Stürm (Joel Basman, The Monuments Men), in a public square. Intelligent and sensitive, “Walti” –nicknamed “The Jailbreak King” -- isn’t your average criminal, as he’s recently escaped from prison for the seventh time. He’s also a Robin Hood-like figure and Swiss counter-cultural icon, taunting the establishment with outrageous thefts and media savvy. Babs quickly sees an opportunity to use his popularity to reform the penal system, and they form an unlikely alliance. That plan, however, goes awry when the unpredictable Stürm uses his newfound freedom to commit another crime, and soon finds the authorities closing in. Using her connections, she finds the charming criminal temporary refuge with a militant organization, and takes him on as a client. Stürm, however, has a very different ideology of freedom, and proves to be far more difficult to manage than she ever realized.
