Big “Jennifer Reeder energy,” emanates from every pore of Theodore Schafter’s arresting debut feature Giving Birth to a Butterfly. Both use surrealism to interrogate suburban malaise, which coincidentally is the best way to do so. Sorry, I don’t make the rules, but I can confidently assert that I think this thing rules.
In Giving Birth to a Butterfly, Annie Parisse plays Diana, a suburban housewife whose son has a pregnant girlfriend that he did not knock up. Despite the awkwardness of their relationship, Diana soon bonds with Marlene (Gus Birney), the pregnant girlfriend, as both are forced to deal with external pressures forced upon them by loved ones. For Marlene it’s her neglectful mother, who remains determined to become a Norma Desmond-styled star, ready for her close-up and all. For Diana, it’s her husband, who is hell-bent on making his dreams of owning a restaurant a reality. Ultimately, after Diana’s identity is stolen, the two will embark on a road trip together that will be undoubtedly transformative.
It’s impossible to talk about this film without mentioning the film’s gorgeous visual design. Shot on 16mm with a rounded off aspect ratio akin to David Lowrey’s A Ghost Story, Schaefer’s film is nothing but gorgeous. Moreover, the film gets two excellent performances out of Parisse and Birney, whose growing relationship is one of the main delights of the film.
However, it isn’t the main delight of Giving Birth to A Butterfly. That would have to go to the way that the film stays with you. Schafter is a producer on We’re All Going to the World’s Fair, which is also playing the festival. In both cases, cinema is alive, and contains the power to provide transformative experiences, just like exiting a chrysalis.
- Release Date: 8/9/2021