By STEVEN JUPITER
BRANDON—Buddy movies are a staple of American cinema. Two friends head off on an adventure, not sure where the road will take them but certain they’ve got each other’s back. Liam O’Connor-Genereaux knew he wanted to make a movie that tested the limits of that kind of platonic bond: how far can a friendship be stretched while still maintaining its shape?
“Friendship is hard,” O’Connor-Genereaux said in a phone interview. “And it’s taken for granted on film. I wanted to treat friendship the way romantic love is treated, as something rewarding but that requires effort and work.”
And so he made “The Butterfly Queen”, a “dark fantasy” with elements of “The Wizard of Oz” and “Alice in Wonderland,” with some “Stand by Me” and “Princess Bride” thrown in. It’s not a horror movie but, O’Connor-Genereaux said, “there are definitely some scary parts.”
The film had its world premiere in Brattleboro on February 11 and will show at Brandon Town Hall on Friday, March 17.
The story revolves around two best friends, Casey (Kade Pintado) and Robin (Sophia Anthony), who grow up together in a small town. After high school, they take very different paths. Casey stays in town, hoping to become a cartoonist while running their grandparents’ farm. Robin goes off to see the world. Five years later, they find themselves reunited back home and must join forces to recover Casey’s sketchbook, which has been snatched into another world by the titular Butterfly Queen (Despoina).
THE BUTTERFLY QUEEN (played by Despoina) puts friendship to the test in “The Butterfly Queen” by Liam O’Connor-Genereaux. The film will be shown on Friday, March 17 at 7 pm at Brandon Town Hall. Q & A with the director to follow immediately.
Like Casey and Robin, O’Connor-Devereaux grew up in a small town: Ryegate in the Northeast Kingdom of Vermont. He started making movies as a kid—he completed his first short film at 13—and hasn’t stopped since. His first feature film, “Zephyr,” was filmed on his parents’ farm and completed when he was 20. It centered on a band of thieves that had to become rock stars to escape the mafia. It went on to win awards at several film festivals.
“The Butterfly Queen” was also filmed in Vermont, on a budget of $90,000. According to O’Connor-Genereaux, a significant amount of the budget went toward the “really incredible art production” by art director Seana Testa.
At 27 (“almost 28”), O’Connor-Genereaux represents a new generation of filmmakers who are comfortable with themes of gender identity that would’ve been controversial not too long ago. For example, the character Casey and the actor who plays them are both non-binary. Yet, gender identity is not at the center of the film.
“There are characters who happen to be queer but it’s not a ‘queer’ movie,” said O’Connor-Genereaux. “It’s representation of the queer community but not in an exploitive way. It’s just an adventure story about young Vermonters.”
“The Butterfly Queen” will be shown at Brandon Town Hall on Friday, March 17 at 7 p.m. Admission is $10 at the door. Liam O’Connor-Genereaux, the director, will be on hand to answer questions after the film.
