Butterflies

Dmitry Kubasov / Russia / 2016 / World Premiere / 79 min.

synopsis

Young Alexei is openly homosexual. Although his peers have no problem with his sexual orientation, his mother is unable to accept it. This documentary portrait follows Alexei during summer break, as he spends time with his new lover Grisha, whom he met at a Tarkovsky festival. The film takes an unusual observational approach in that the camera is often right up against people’s bodies and faces during impassioned discussions, arguments, or testimony. As a result, the spontaneous and eccentric manner in which Alexei breaks down gender stereotypes are brought to the fore.

“Making a movie always goes hand in hand with fear and shame. This is because the film just now learned to dive into the man. Untill now it only described. During the work on the film Butterflies I always thought about it.” Dmitry Kubasov

biography

Dmitry Kubasov (1985) is a Russian actor and documentary filmmaker who has appeared in many renowned films such as Philippe Grandrieux’s Un Lac (2008). His past documentaries include the collective film Winter, Go Away! (2012) and the medium-length Tanya Number 5 (2014). His works are characterized by the close observation of people, inspired by his professor Marina Razbezhkina.