Butterfly
Once your heart is touched by a butterfly you will never be the same again.
Butterfly is a mysterious LGBTQ romantic drama about love, loss, change and the curse of an artist who is destined to suffer for the sake of creating beauty.
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Ian ArmerDirectorIntrospectum Motel,The Clenched Twat of Notre Dame, Frozen
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Ian ArmerWriterMad Gods & Englishmen, Midnight
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Leeni LaasfeldProducerThe Flight of Lulu, Who Are We?
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Ian Armer (co-producer)ProducerIntrospectum Motel,The Clenched Twat of Notre Dame, Frozen
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Leeni LaasfeldKey CastKoik on Voimalik
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Chris GunterKey CastThe Day I Got A Lizard
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Kerry NewtonKey CastHymns of Abarise-Megan, Fantasia, Tribal Get Out Alive, Broken Nation
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Neal GavynKey CastSuper Grannies, The Dream House,
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Annalia FraserKey CastInterrupted Marriage,The Daughter's Kingdom, Wrong Hit
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Project Type:Music Video, Short
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Genres:Romance, Drama, fantasy, music
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Runtime:9 minutes 10 seconds
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Completion Date:December 13, 2019
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Production Budget:3,500 GBP
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Country of Origin:United Kingdom
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Country of Filming:United Kingdom
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Language:English
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Shooting Format:Digital
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Film Color:Color
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First-time Filmmaker:No
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Student Project:No
Starting out in the commercial sector, Ian Armer has written corporate scripts and had work published in film music magazine Music from the Movies and The Film & TV Yearbook before working on his own short films. Ian worked with the BBC, Shoreline Films and Pure Television before developing his own style and he’s since been a regular contributor to The Illustrated Ape – his work appearing alongside Maximo Park’s Paul Smith and Radiohead’s Stanley Donwood. Funding from the UK Film Council enabled him to shoot cult short The Clenched Tw*t of Notre Dame, which was nominated for an award at Manchester’s Commonwealth Film Festival. Ian’s films have screened at various UK festivals and his roles have included director, writer and editor, plus he’s been a guest programmer at Kino’s International Film Festival. In 2010 Ian co-wrote a short script with Amanda Webster – Cherry Lips & Liquorice Whips – which was due to be directed by Ken Russell, who passed away before the project reached fruition. Ian continues to write and direct and his first novella Mad Gods and Englishmen has since been published to great acclaim. More recently, he’s been commissioned to direct a series of art installations by experimental artists. He also co-wrote the feature film “Introspectum Motel” .
"The song BUTTERFLY LULLABY suggested so much to me. It opened a world of possibilities. The more I listened, the more I immersed myself into how the song made me feel and the images it evoked. Suddenly there was the clown figure, reminiscent of the tragic Gelsomina in Fellini’s LA STRADA. That was my starting point, and everything grew from there.
The butterfly has many different meanings in varying cultures. My background (being raised Christian) was the typical death/resurrection symbol and I wanted to explore religious imagery within the film. However, I also felt the project needed to be about homosexuality and gender fluidity. As it turns out, the film goes beyond even that, transcending sexuality and gender as we enter a psychological drama of subconscious archetypes and evolving personal growth. “They’re all me!” said English writer Dennis Potter of his characters, and I could say the same for the players in BUTTERFLY, but they are all part of the same microcosm. I wanted the audience to look inside without realising they were watching what happens inside. The various players of personality and mind, trying to reconcile and heal and find balance. There’s even the lie of a happy ending (the breaking of the film illusion with the clapperboard in order to call “action!” on the happy ending our main character desires) that may, or may not, come to pass. Sometimes, our delusions get us through difficult times but can also hold us back.
The main thrust of BUTTERFLY was our fear of change. Most people prefer to stay caterpillars, forever in the safety of their cocoon, thinking “this peace is what I have worked hard for.” Of course, life is not like that. We all must change and grow, but for those who cannot readily accept change in themselves or in others the process can be painful and traumatic.
BUTTERFLY was created to be a form of healing art. The sole intention was to work magic on set for those involved and for the viewer. It is meant to challenge and ask questions. Looking for the answers is part of the transformation and healing process but like our protagonist in the film, the dangers and traps of wishful thinking and holding onto the past are ever present."