Butterfly

2025 0h 15m FR

👍

7.3

SOLID

★7.3TMDB · 34

AnimationDramaHistory

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

A Jewish North African middle-aged man's swim in the sea triggers memories of his earlier life as an Olympic swimmer before and after World War II.

“Some stories are better left unspoiled.”

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Cast

Fayçal Zafi
Alfred Nakache (voice)
Jessica Jaouiche
Paule Nakache (voice)
Yassine Mestaoui
Young Alfred Nakache (voice)
Alexandre Liebe
Sports Commentator (voice)
Johannes Oliver Hamm
Sports Commentator (voice)
Hocine Ben
Sports Commentator / Police Officer / Soldier (voice)
Olivier Peissel
Sports Commentator / Police Officer / Soldier (voice)
Foued Kemeche
Coach (voice)

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Florence Miailhe
Writers: Florence Miailhe
Languages: French, German
Countries: France

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

RUNTIME

Did you know

Tight 15-minute runtime — shorter than most television pilots.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

ERA

Did you know

Released last year.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

Dialogue crosses 2 languages: French, German.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

ERA

Did you know

Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Florence Miailhe, shot by Guillaume Hoenig. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Pierre Oberkampf. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Nassim Gordji-Tehrani shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Fayçal Zafi and Jessica Jaouiche and Yassine Mestaoui carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Florence Miailhe directs. Guillaume Hoenig behind the camera. Pierre Oberkampf scores. Nassim Gordji-Tehrani cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in France. Dialogue in French, German.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Tight 15-minute runtime — shorter than most television pilots.
2Released last year.
3Dialogue crosses 2 languages: French, German.
4Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.
5Directed by Florence Miailhe, shot by Guillaume Hoenig. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
6Original score by Pierre Oberkampf. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
7Editor Nassim Gordji-Tehrani shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
8Fayçal Zafi and Jessica Jaouiche and Yassine Mestaoui carry the top of the cast.
9IMDB entry: tt30970587 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
10Only 34 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.

The technical file

Cinematography: Guillaume Hoenig
Original score: Pierre Oberkampf
Editing: Nassim Gordji-Tehrani
Production design: Florence Miailhe
Sound: Pierre Oberkampf
Runtime: 15 min · 0h 15m
Status: Released
Original language: FR
Certification (US): 15+
IMDB: Butterfly (2025)

Awards

2 wins & 3 nominations

Also by

Florence Miailhe

Community reviews

What people are saying

CinemaSerf2026-01-19
★ 7/10
There’s a really quite sad story contained within this short, sketch-style, animation. It’s inspired by the life of Alfred Nakache. He was a French Algerian, dark skinned and Jewish swimmer who just happened to be at the top of his game just as the munificence of National Socialism was extending throughout Europe. Initially his fellow competitors rally around as he becomes the victim of discrimination, but as that becomes more enshrined in law he, his wife and child have to resort to desperate measures to stay safe. When these don’t work, the war duly takes it’s toll. Against a backdrop of his constant swimming, we learn much about this young man - originally afraid of water, of his family and of his ultimate situation and by using the constant presence of water throughout, we are shown some of the joys and menace that have followed his life. Even a portentous Swastika makes an appearance. His swimming stroke is the butterfly, but perhaps there is something of the chrysalis about the man’s tale?

Production companies