Don't Cry, Butterfly


Don't Cry, Butterfly is a 2024 fantasy comedy film directed and written by Dương Diệu Linh in her directorial debut. It is a Vietnamese-Philippine-Singaporean-Indonesian international co-production. The film had its world premiere at the 81st Venice International Film Festival during the International Critics' Week section.

Premise

A housewife uses voodoo to lure her husband back after finding out about his affair.

Cast

  • Tú Oanh as Tâm
  • Nguyễn Nam Linh as Hà
  • Lê Vũ Long as Mr. Thành
  • Bùi Thạc Phong as Trọng

Production

In August 2019, Dương Diệu Linh won the Open Doors – Moulin d'Andé-CECI Award during the Open Doors Hub and Lab at the Locarno Film Festival for creating the premise for the development of the project. In January 2022, the project was shortlisted for the Talent Project Market at the Berlinale Talents 2022 during the Berlin International Film Festival. In March 2022, the project won two awards, Wouter Barendrecht Award and Udine Focus Asian Award at the Hong KongAsian Film Financing Forum.
Principal photography took place in September 2023.

Release

Don't Cry, Butterfly had its world premiere at the 81st Venice International Film Festival on 3 September 2024 during the International Critics' Week section. It won two awards, IWONDERFULL Grand Prize and Most Innovative Feature. The film was also screened at film festivals in Busan, Toronto, and London.