PERHOSET
BUTTERFLIES
The Finnish summer may be chilly, but the hearts of the characters in Jenni Toivoniemi's film are truly warm — just like this story of an unusual family reunion itself. Father and daughter only seem different. Siiri, a workaholic, tries to meet the constantly changing demands of her despotic superior, suffers from panic attacks and, despite her high position, does not feel happy at all. Her father Petri, once a local celebrity, has literally lost his last shirt and is also miserable. Now, somehow, they are going through life together again for a few days, with all its misunderstandings and little adventures, sometimes absurd, sometimes funny and sometimes tragic. What makes each of these scenes appealing is the delicate humor of an almost Chaplinian quality. The more misfortunes the characters go through, the more comical it looks from the outside. Toivoniemi draws her characters with great sympathy and empathy — an amazing talent for which Finnish cinema has been known for years. BUTTERFLIES is a true crowd-pleaser, made with a huge love for small Finnish towns, the sometimes oddball people who live there, the beautiful nature that surrounds them and the real cult tango festival that has been held in Seinäjoki since the mid-1980s.
Text: Ksenia Reutova
05.11.2024 | 17:00 | Obenkino (original version with English subtitles)
09.11.2024 | 12:30 | Stadthalle (original version with English subtitles + simultaneous translation into German)
Jenni Toivoniemi - Jenni Toivoniemi is an award-winning writer-director and playwright based in Helsinki. Following a BA in literature and theatre studies and working as a journalist, Jenni studied screenwriting and directing in ELO Film School Helsinki and participated in several international workshops, including Cine Qua Non Lab, TIFF Talent Lab, Torino Film and Berlinale Talent Campus. After her multi awareded shorts "The Committee" and " The Date"; Jenny co-wrote "Korso, and Sihja – The Rebel Fairy" and made her feature debut with "Games People Play" (2020) and the comedy series "Carpe F*cking Diem" (2020 ). "Butterfly is Jenni's second feature film as a director.
