The Painted Bird tells the story of a young Jewish boy living in occupied Poland who becomes a refugee survivor when his parents are sent to a concentration camp, but encounters paranoid resentment and violent reactions wherever he goes to Judaism, and witnesses firsthand the violence and depravity of the national soul.
Based on the novel of the same name by Jerzy Kosinski, the film was shot entirely in Slavic. Mahul stated that he decided to use this language so that Slavic peoples would not identify with the story.
The film competed at the 76th Venice International Film Festival and was screened at the Toronto Film Festival.
The film's explicit scenes had an impact on the festival, as many viewers unable to bear the film's vileness and brutality ended up leaving the screening room.
