IDFA 2006
Butterfly Man
Samantha Rebillet
Australia
2004
6 min
n.a.
As it is a cold-blooded creature, the best way to kill a butterfly is by putting it to sleep in a refrigerator and subsequently letting it die in its sleep in a freezer. In any case, this is the method that butterfly collector and keeper Don Herbison-Evans has applied to his butterflies for ages. "I like to send them to heaven." They fly around in his house until they end up in a jar in the fridge. In the Macleay Museum, Herbison-Evans carefully pins up the animals and neatly arranges them in drawers. The ugliest and oldest specimens are often the most valuable, the man jauntily explains, exhibiting a healthy dose of self-mockery. The camera follows Herbison-Evans and his fascination for butterflies in the museum and at home, until the camera suddenly captures rows of trophies on a shelf. According to Herbison-Evans, his discovery of dancing at a ripe age - he was already over fifty - has regenerated him. The costume and the competition literally give him wings. "On the dance floor, I feel myself changing from a caterpillar into a butterfly." Director Samantha Rebillet only needs six minutes for her apt portrait of this intriguing man.
Credits
Screening copy
Australian Film Television and Radio School (AFTRS)
Australian Film Television and Radio School (AFTRS)
World Sales
Australian Film Television and Radio School (AFTRS)
Australian Film Television and Radio School (AFTRS)
Cinematography
Screenplay
Narration
Production