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GIFFONI FILM FESTIVAL 2004 - 17.24 July

Sections & Films

THE BLUE BUTTERFLY

Category: Edition 2004

Synopsis

Ten year-old Pete Carlton is terminally ill with brain cancer and confined to a wheelchair. Funny and intelligent, Pete is incredibly courageous. He seeks refuge by observing the miniature world of cocoons and insects that he collects, and he has just one wish: to catch the legendary butterfly Blue Morpho, the Mariposa Azul, only to be found in the tropical rain forests of Central and Southern America. He is convinced that this butterfly can reveal the mystery of life to him. Teresa, Pete’s single mother, is brave, consumed by love and sorrow for her dying son, and determined to make his dream come true. She convinces Alan Osborne, an entomologist and Pete’s hero, to take them to the jungle. Alan is a passionate, rugged yet vulnerable man who, due partly to a secret that haunts him, prefers the company of insects over people. He is initially dead-set against the idea. But, thanks to Pete’s determination, he finally agrees to go along with the idea. However, since the Blue Morpho season is almost over, Alan will only give Pete a couple of days to try to capture the magical butterfly.

Original Title THE BLUE BUTTERFLY
Category Official Competition
Section Free to Fly
Tipology Feature Film
Duration 96'
Production Year 2004
Nationality Canada, United Kingdom
Directed by Léa Pool
Screenplay Pete McCormack
Script Pete McCormack (from a true story)
Director of photography Pierre Mignot
Editor Michel Arcand
Production Design Serge Bureau
Costume Design Michèle Hamel
Sound Ivan Sharrock, Andy Kennedy, Ray Merrin, Graham Daniel
Music Stephen Endelman
Main cast William Hurt (Alan Osborne)
Pascale Bussières (Teresa Carlton)
Marc Donato (Pete Carlton)
Raoul Trujillo (Alejo)
Topo (Manolo)
Marianella Jimenez (Yana)
Produced by Francine Allaire, Claude Bonin, Arnie Gelbart, Michael Haggiag
Access

the blue butterfly regLéa Pool

Born in 1950 in Soglio, Switzerland, in 1975 she moved to Québec to study Communications at Montreal University. After making numerous short films and videos she began to make episodes of television serials and documentary films. In 1984 she made her first feature film, LA FEMME DE L’HOTEL, followed by other seven films, all of which were selected by major international film festivals. Among her most recent works SET ME FREE (EMPORTE MOI), that won the first edition of Rear Window’ section at the Giffoni Film Festival in 1999, and LOST & DELIRIOUS (2001) presented at the Sundance and Berlin film festivals. THE BLUE BUTTERFLY is her latest work.

 

Director’s statement

“When I read Pete McCormack’s script, I understood that I could give an enormous gift to my daughter and to all the children in the world. This story moved me not only because based on a true story that took place here in Québec, involving two exceptional people (Georges Brossard and David), but also because it is a wonderful lesson in life and hope in a world that unfortunately isn’t going very well. This is a story of survival: a little boy with incurable cancer beats his illness thanks to his determination and to the strength of his dream. There is no rational explanation for what happened, and yet it happened. And maybe this mystery is what is beautiful in our lives”.

Production
World sales
Festival contact
Galafilm Productions Inc.
5643, rue Clark Bureau 300, Montréal (Quebec), H3B 2G2 - Canada
phone +1 514 2734252
fax +1 514 2738689
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www.galafilm.com