La Chasse aux papillons

La Chasse aux papillons is a 1992 French drama film written and directed by Otar Iosseliani.[1][2][3][4]

La Chasse aux papillons
Film poster
Directed byOtar Iosseliani
Written byOtar Iosseliani
Produced by
  • Pierre-André Boutang
  • Luciano Gloor
  • Patrick Lot
  • Martine Marignac
  • Ettore Rosboch
  • Lilia Smecchia
  • Guy Séligmann
  • Maurice Tinchant
Starring
  • Narda Blanchet
  • Pierrette Pompom Bailhache
  • Aleksandr Cherkasov
  • Thamara Tarassachvili
CinematographyWilliam Lubtchansky
Edited by
  • Nathalie Alquier
  • Otar Iosseliani
  • Jocelyne Ruiz
  • Ursula West
Music byNicholas Zourabichvili
Production
companies
Distributed by
  • Pierre Grise Distribution (1992) (France)
  • New Yorker Films (1993) (USA)
  • Servizi TV (2000) (Italy)
Release date
  • September 5, 1992 (1992-09-05) (Italy)
Running time
115 minutes
CountryFrance
LanguageFrench

Plot

Two older women, Marie-Agnès de Bayonette (Thamara Tarassachvili) and her cousin Solange (Narda Blanchet) live in a villa nestled in the hills over a nearby village. Surrounded by the wealth, memories, and treasures collected over their lifetimes, they purposely ignore real estate development interests from the nearby town, specially those led by repeated efforts of the local magistrate who urges them to sell their home to a Japanese investment group. They survive financially by the occasional sale of a piece of antique furniture. When Marie-Agnès dies unexpectedly, Solange has to deal with an heir from Moscow and renewed efforts that the estate be sold.

Cast

In casting his films, Otar Iosseliani admitted to preferring unknowns, feeling that a famous name could be equated to hiring a whore. In wishing to have viewer's feel like they were watching not actors but people, his casts were recruited mainly from his personal address book.[5]

  • Narda Blanchet as Solange
  • Pierrette Pompom Bailhache as Valérie
  • Aleksandr Cherkasov as Henri de Lampadere
  • Thamara Tarassachvili as Marie-Agnès de Bayonette
  • Alexandra Liebermann as Hélène
  • Lilia Ollivier as Olga
  • Emmanuel de Chauvigny as Father André
  • Sacha Piatigorsky as Sultan
  • Anne-Marie Eisenschitz as Marie
  • Françoise Tsouladzé as Yvonne
  • Maimouna N'Diaye as Caprice
  • Yannick Carpentier as Monsieur Capentier

Release

The film had multiple international releases 1992 through 1995, and screened at the Thessaloniki International Film Festival in 2003. Its original French release title is La Chasse aux papillons, but it also screened as A Caça às Borboletas in Portugal,[6] as Caccia alle farfalle in Italy,[4] Jagd auf Schmetterlinge in Germany,[7] as Kelebek avi in Turkey,[8] as Lepkevadászat in Hungary,[9] as Peplebze nadiroba (ნადირობა პეპლებზე) in Georgia,[10] as Охота на бабочек in Russia,[10] as Polowanie na motyle in Poland,[11] and as To kynigi tis petaloudas in Greece. In English it was released as The Butterfly Hunt, Hunting Butterflies, and Chasing Butterflies.

Recognition

Critical response

The film was shown in 1993 Moscow International Film Festival as a part of the program which demonstrated award-winning 1992 films. In the reaction, it was noted that the film is typical for Otar Iosseliani in the sense that it gives the notion of the rytmus. The best scenes of the film are those where no dramatic action occurs. It was also noted that France as shown by Iosseliani is very much like Georgia as shown by him in previous films.[12]

Awards and nominations

References
  1. Canby, Vincent (October 22, 1993). "Chasing Butterflies (1992), Review/Film; Eccentrics At Play In a French Chateau". The New York Times. Retrieved July 25, 2012.
  2. Murat, Pierre (April 11, 2008). "La Critique: La Chasse aux papillons". Télérama (in French). Retrieved July 25, 2012.
  3. Fiant, Antony (2002). (Et) le cinéma d'Otar Iosseliani (Fut): Histoire et théorie du cinéma (in French). L'AGE D'HOMME. pp. multiple. ISBN 2825116955.
  4. Roberto Chiti; Enrico Lancia; Roberto Poppi (2001). Dizionario del cinema italiano (in Italian). Caccia alle farfalle: Gremese Editore. ISBN 8884400856.
  5. Sterneborg, Anke (March 8, 1993). "Choreographie des Verschwindens: Otar Iosselianis überragender Film "Jagd auf Schmetterlinge"". Focus (in German). Retrieved July 26, 2012.
  6. "Otar IOSSELIANI: Biografia" (in Portuguese). Festival De Cannes. Retrieved July 27, 2012.
  7. "Jagd auf Schmetterlinge" (in German). Cinema. Retrieved July 27, 2012.
  8. "Kelebek avi" (in Turkish). Filmlerim. Retrieved July 27, 2012.
  9. "Lepkevadászat" (in Hungarian). Port. 1992. Retrieved July 27, 2012.
  10. Охота на бабочек (in Russian). Okino. Archived from the original on April 17, 2013. Retrieved July 27, 2012.
  11. "Polowanie na motyle" (in Polish). Filmweb. Retrieved July 27, 2012.
  12. Плахов, Андрей (July 3, 1993). Продолжается Московский кинофестиваль. Kommersant (in Russian). 1993 (124).
  13. "La Chasse Aux Papillons" (in French). Médiaquest. Retrieved July 27, 2012.
  14. Kakulia, Tamar (September 24, 2011). "Venice Became A Showcase For All His Films". Philadelphia News.
  15. Плахов, Андрей (December 12, 1993). Вручены призы "Ника". Kommersant (in Russian). 1993 (245).
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