Synopsis
Nostalgia.
Ferding, Santos and Willy only drink in despair. One day, a Canadian woman’s visit changes everything.
Butterflies Have No Memories
Studio
Country
Original Language
Spoken Languages
Alternative Title
蝴蝶没有记忆
Genre
Releases by Date
Theatrical
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JapanU
Releases by Country
Japan
18 Oct 2009
- TheatricalU
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Butterflies Have No Memories is one of the more interesting films I have seen about nostalgia. A woman from western civilization visits her now impoverished birthplace in the Philippines, meeting her friends and family from yesteryear. Her return is marked with a variety of emotional responses from her townsfolk, from being welcomed with open arms, to being glared at with a jealous eye, and neglected by others.
She continuously projects an aura of positivity, while everyone around her is plagued with melancholy and indifference. She returns to a nostalgic place that is dear to her, taking pictures to create and preserve new memories and reminiscing about her past, when everything seemed much better.
These sentiments are more or less understood…
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As much as I enjoyed watching Norte, The End of History last year, my reason for not watching any more of Lav Diaz's movies since then had less to do with their gargantuan runtimes and more to do with how hard they are to find, and so I was surprised to not only come across a film of his on YouTube, but to also find out that this movie was only 61 minutes long. Like the title suggests, Butterflies Have No Memories deals with an overarching theme of nostalgia, as what was once a thriving mining village is now rife with debt, drinking, and despair. Diaz draws a contrast between the rose-tinted glasses of two different characters here, with Mang…
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This was so good, it's been way too long since I've seen one of Diaz's films and this brought back the feeling I've been wanting to experience again for a while. I can't wait to get off of school so I can binge more of his films. So, about this one, I really wasn't expecting much but I was pleasantly surprised. The 61 minute runtime suited this story very well, and I love the way it ends. Although this is definitely not Diaz at his best, it's a good slice of his style that is worth watching.
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My cultural heritage is something I have a huge disconnect from. I'm someone who comes from hispanic decent, yet I've never even thought about my roots and how they connect to myself. Many of my relatives from this side of my family are much more in tune with this part of themselves than I am. When it comes to me I feel like I've really abandoned this side of myself and for no real reason. I can't even speak any Spanish whereas most everyone on this side is relatively fluent or familiar with the language. This disconnect not just being exclusive to my family, but honestly most people who share the culture I do.
It pains me a bit to…
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Slowly but surely, I am introducing Lav Diaz to my girlfriend. I thought it would be a good start due to its relatively short length. At the same time, Butterflies Have No Memories reflects the same political realities underlying Diaz's earlier (and presumably best) films.
What begins as conversations about the economic hardships of the Philippines and an observational piece soon evolves into a crime film where Martha, a visiting Filipino-Canadian immigrant turns from an object of bitter judgment and romantic longing to a desperate tool for economic liberation.
Willy can not go along with the kidnap-for-ransom plan because he grew up with Martha (who lived in the country until she was nine) but is pushed to do so by his peers. The ancient masks the men wear evoke a sense of historical surrealism, but it is the butterflies that make the scene the most memorable. The presence of beauty makes Willy break down and weep.
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This film shows just how much of a hold memories have over us, whether it be from trauma or nostalgia. The distinction lies in how they are remembered and by who. These are the riddles Diaz is most fond of investigating.
This is always traced back to the political event. Often an actual historical event, it must be dealt with painstakingly.
What's interesting is that it is retorted not with direct commentary, but with poetry. Instead of statistics, we are made to empathize with a person's suffering. Instead of charts or graphs, we are given metaphors and symbols to feel and define things ourselves.This is a loose framework Diaz holds on to throughout his filmography. That makes this short film actually a good starting point for those intimidated by his longer work.
That final scene has been playing in my head for double-digit hours all the same and it will be in my memory for much much longer.
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79/100
Butterflies Have No Memories is part of a 2009 anthology film Visitors, with two other segments directed by Hong Sang-soo and Naomi Kawase, featuring the common theme of the outsider's experience in visiting a place where they don't naturally fit in. Running for a mere 61 minutes (this is the director's cut), the film is a slap in the face of everyone doubting Diaz's proficiency with shorter formats.
Martha, a Filipino-born Canadian citizen, returns to the hometown she left behind when she was only nine. Her father used to own a mining factory in the town which closed down upon their departure, leaving a huge number of locals without a source of income. Since then, economic woes have transformed…
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In which violence is not an answer nor a solution, but a reaction. I think the 60 minute cut is better, but I couldn't find anywhere. If there's ever an opportunity to go to the Philippines, here's hoping it is black and white and full of despair.
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I think I should find the one-hour director's cut since this 40-minute cut felt rather like summary or demonstration. Many of the things felt too vague and when I look at the write-ups of some of the others who saw this film, I think as if I'd seen different one. It's quiet and reduced like others, cinematic expression is minimalist to the point that it feels almost non-existent but Diaz' work has always been the kind of cinema that gains its strength in its overall atmosphere and structure. Unlike others I've seen, Butterflies Have No Memories didn't manage to do a thing for me. Usually with Diaz, he manages to hurt me even physically (raping scene in Norte f.e.) but I failed to "live" this film. To be frank, it felt too hurried - not exactly something you expect to see from Diaz. Waiting for the 61-minute cut!
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This is my first film by Lav Diaz, an independent Filipino director who's known for its very long epic films (some last over 8 hours!).
Butterflies Have no Memories was originaly a short (40 minutes) for the annual digital project of the Jeonju International Film Festival.
I watched the director's cut version which lasts one hour.The shutdown of the mines on a remote island of the Philippines, where the economic crisis has taken over, deeply affected some of its inhabitants, including 3 lonely men, Mang Ferding, a former head of security of the mine, his friend, also a former employee of the mine and Willy, a young man who sells salt bread for a living. While they spend their…