Black Butterflies, by David Baute and produced by Ikiru Films, flies to Annecy
Source: www.cineuropa.org
The environmental plea directed by the Canarian filmmaker travels across three continents through the adventures of several real women, affected by the ravages of climate change.
After more than eight years of gestation, the 2D animated film Black Butterflies, fourth feature film by Canarian David Baute (author of the non-fiction films Climatic Exodus, La Murga, Opera Popular and Ella), will premiere at the International Film Festival of Annecy Animation (June 9-15) within the Contrechamp section. Dialogued in Spanish, Bengali, Turkana, French, Arabic and English, the film is intended for audiences of all ages.
It is an ecological drama inspired by real women, which proposes a journey from Africa, the Caribbean and Asia towards an uncertain future for all humanity. With a script by Yaiza Berrocal, it tells how climate change impacts the lives of Tanit, Valeria and Shaila, originally from very different parts of the planet, but with something in common: the three lose everything due to global warming and are forced to migrate.
David Baute – who also serves as artistic director of the Canary Islands International Environmental Film Festival (FICMEC), which is just being held this week, and of MiradasDoc – acknowledges that: «From the beginning of my career I have always linked my artistic production to themes social issues such as migration, the environment or the lives of underrepresented women. Black Butterflies combines these three motivations with the intention of stirring the viewer’s conscience, through empathy and reflection.”
“Tanit, Shaila and Valeria are women who fight to maintain their identity, to not disappear in the migratory feat due to climate change, which has taken away their roots and references,” continues the director. “Their main battle is not to lose their voice and tell their testimonies. They are blurred women who struggle not to merge with the gray environment that rejects them. But the film is not only their stories, but the chronicle of a dark chapter of our planet, plagued by an uncomfortable and urgent truth.”
Producer Edmon Roch (from the production company Ikiru Films, which is currently producing the fourth installment of the Tadeo Jones animation saga) confesses that: “Since David contacted me in February 2016, I knew that this was a necessary film. The World Bank estimates that climate change will cause 216 million people to leave their homes by 2050 in Latin America, Africa and South Asia. Most come from regions that have contributed little to global warming: paradoxically, those who suffer the worst consequences of climate change are the least responsible for its causes.
Black Butterflies is a production by the Spanish companies Tinglado Film, Ikiru Films, Anangu Grup and the Catalan Corporació de Mitjans Audiovisuals in co-production with the Panamanian Tunche Films. It has the participation of RTVE, RTVC, 3CAT and Mogambo, with financing from the ICAA and with the support of ICEC, Government of the Canary Islands and Cabildo Insular de Tenerife.
