The Butterfly
(Le Papillon)
A Film by
Philippe Muyl
2002, 35mm, 79 Minutes, Color
in French with English Subtitles
First Run Features
153 Waverly Place
New York, NY 10014
(212) 243-0600/Fax (212) 989-7649
Website: www.firstrunfeatures.com
Email: info@firstrunfeatures.com
Synopsis – The Butterfly (Le Papillon)
Eight-year-old Elsa and her mother move in next to Julien, an ornery old entomologist
with a lavish butterfly collection in his apartment. Her mom is hardly ever home, and
Elsa soon grows attached to her neighbor. When Julien sets out on a weeklong hike, Elsa
hides herself in his car. Julien begrudgingly allows her to tag along with him on his
expedition to the Alps in search of the elusive Isabelle – an exotic butterfly.
Philippe Muyl
After receiving a Bachelors degree in philosophy, Philippe Muyl studied graphic arts in
Belgium and Paris. He worked in the advertising world as an artistic director before
becoming co-founder of Line Space, a design company, and Synchrony Productions, an
audio-visual production company.
Philippe Muyl has made many industrial films and commercials, and in 1976 he directed
the short film The School of the Heads. His first full- length feature, The Tree under the
Sea, starring Christophe Malavoy and Julien Guiomar, was an official selection at the
Berlin Film Festival in1985. Muyl again focused on the relationships between humans
and animals in the 2000 comedy The Cow and the President. Muyl’s first great success
came in 1993 with his adaptation of Cuisine et Dépendances, a play by Jean-Pierre Bacri
and Agnès Jaoui, followed by the comedy All Must Disappear in 1997.
Written and directed by Philippe Muyl
Executive Producer … Françoise Galfré
Producer…Patrick Godeau
Original Music …Nicolas Errèra
Cinematography… Nicolas Herdt
Editing… Mireille Leroy
Michel Serrault…Julien
Claire Bouanich …Elsa
Nade Dieu …Elsa’s Mother
Françoise Michaud …Waiter
Hélène Hily …Marguerite, the concierge
Pierre Poirot …Policeman