Black Butterflies (2011)

She searched for a home, she searched for love. Confronted by Apartheid and a father who was Minister of censorship. With men like Jack Cope and Andre Brink she found much love, but no home... See full summary »

Director:

Paula van der Oest

Writer:

Greg Latter

Stars:

Carice van Houten, Liam Cunningham, Rutger Hauer

7 wins & 2 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Carice van Houten	...	Ingrid Jonker
Liam Cunningham	...	Jack Cope
Rutger Hauer	...	Abraham Jonker
Graham Clarke	...	Uys Krige
Nicholas Pauling	...	Eugene Maritz
Candice D'Arcy	...	Anna Jonker
Ceridwen Morris	...	Marjorie
Grant Swanby	...	Jan Rabie
Waldemar Schultz	...	Etienne le Roux
Tarryn Page	...	Irma
Louis Pretorius	...	Mike Loots
Damon Berry	...	Pieter Venter
Martinus Van Der Berg	...	Marius Schoon (as Marthinus Van den Berg)
Florence Masebe	...	Maria
Jennifer Steyn	...	Lucille Jonker (Lulu)

Storyline

She searched for a home, she searched for love. Confronted by Apartheid and a father who was Minister of censorship. With men like Jack Cope and Andre Brink she found much love, but no home. In his first speech to the South African Parliament Nelson Mandela read her poem "The Dead Child of Nyanga" and addresses her as one of the finest poets of South Africa.

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Plot Keywords:

female bare foot | female to male foot in crotch | footsie under the table

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Genres:

Drama

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Details

Official Sites:

Official site [Netherlands]

Country:

Germany Netherlands South Africa

Language:

English

Release Date:

31 March 2011 (Netherlands)

Also Known As:

Borboletas Negras

Company Credits

Production Co:

IDTV Film, Cool Beans, Comet Film Produktion GmbH

Technical Specs

Runtime:

100 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby SR

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Connections

Featured in De wereld draait door: Episode #6.66 (2010)

User Reviews

In need of a plot

A middle aged writer rescues a young woman from drowning near the shores of South Africa. Although he is much older, they fall in love right there and then and soon some obvious complications ensue. There is hardly a likable or interesting character in this wandering historical drama about the poet Ingrid Jonker (Carice van Houten). It deals primarily with the mentally troubled writer and her precarious relationships with men, including her father (Rutger Hauer) who is a member of the apartheid regime she strongly opposes.

The film never picks up any speed and the absence of a discernible plot line or a compelling narrative makes for a very pallid viewing experience. Hauers script is particularly one-note but the same could be said of van Houten who seemed to be out of her depth in the role of a frustrated and depressed young woman trying to get her voice heard through rebellious poetry. Liam Cunningham fares a lot better as one of the two love interests and produces the only sympathetic character of the film.