Swallowtail Butterfly

"This is the story of Yentowns in Yentown."

1996 2h 28m JA

🙌

7.5

BANGER

⭐

7.5

IMDB

★7.5TMDB · 102★7.5IMDB · 4,829

DramaCrimeMusicScience Fiction

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

The struggles of a group of outcasts living in "Yentown", in an alternate-future Japan.

“This is the story of Yentowns in Yentown.”

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Cast

Ayumi Ito
Ageha
Yosuke Eguchi
Ryou Ryanki
Chara
Glico
Hiroshi Mikami
Feihong
Andy Hui Chi-On
Maofu
Atsuro Watabe
Ran
Kaori Momoi
Suzukino
Tomoko Yamaguchi
Shenmei

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Shunji Iwai
Writers: Shunji Iwai, Shunji Iwai
Languages: Japanese, Mandarin, English
Countries: Japan

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

ERA

Did you know

30 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

Dialogue crosses 3 languages: Japanese, Mandarin, English.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

CINEMA

Did you know

Part of the "いわいしゅんじ Collection" — so the characters or world continue elsewhere.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Shunji Iwai, shot by Noboru Shinoda. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

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

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

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

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Ayumi Ito and Yosuke Eguchi and Chara carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "This is the story of Yentowns in Yentown.".

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Shunji Iwai directs. Noboru Shinoda behind the camera. Takeshi Kobayashi scores. Shunji Iwai cuts. Produced in Japan. Dialogue in Japanese, Mandarin, English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

130 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.
2Dialogue crosses 3 languages: Japanese, Mandarin, English.
3Part of the "いわいしゅんじ Collection" — so the characters or world continue elsewhere.
4Directed by Shunji Iwai, shot by Noboru Shinoda. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
5Original score by Takeshi Kobayashi. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
6Editor Shunji Iwai shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
7Ayumi Ito and Yosuke Eguchi and Chara carry the top of the cast.
8Marketing tagline: "This is the story of Yentowns in Yentown.".
9IMDB entry: tt0117797 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
10Classified under 8 themes, including "money laundering", "immigration", "money", "counterfeit".
11Released under 10 different titles around the world.