BUTTERFLIES - Comedy Film Fest at FOMO Cinema

Tolga Karaçelik | 2018 | Turkey | 1h57m | Turkish audio with English subtitles

Tolga Karaçelik’s BUTTERFLIES begins with three estranged siblings returning to their rural hometown after the death of their father, and from there it keeps shifting into something stranger, sadder, and funnier than you expect. It is a family reunion film, but a very warped one, full of unresolved resentments, deadpan awkwardness, and the kind of absurd situations that seem to emerge naturally whenever people are forced back into each other’s orbit after years apart.

What makes the film so satisfying is its tonal balance. It's a bit melancholic but never heavy-handed. It's one of those films where people talk past one another, fail to communicate, and keep making everything worse, which is often where the best comedy lives. The result is a film that feels both intimate and bizarre.

WHY IT’S INCLUDED IN THIS WEEK’S PROGRAM: I wanted to balance out some of the more famous comedies with a hidden gem, so I asked Murat if he knew any great Turkish comedies and he said we have to show BUTTERFLIES. It also brings a very different national voice into the program, which I think matters in a week like this.

LOCATION: FOMO Secret Cinema, Bazari Orbeliani, Tbilisi. A five minute walk from Liberty Square metro.

HOW TO FIND FOMO: Enter Bazari Orbeliani via Atoneli St above Carrefour and take the stairs on your left to the first floor. You can also check our Instagram story highlights for a video showing exactly how to find us:
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