‘Butterfly Jam’ Review: Barry Keoghan and Riley Keough Are Circassian Siblings in Kantemir Balagov’s Vibrant but Unruly Community Portrait
The film marks Kantemir Balagov’s first English-language feature and opens Directors’ Fortnight, with Barry Keoghan’s Wolfcub Productions joining for the first time.
- Kantemir Balagov's third feature, Butterfly Jam, opens the Cannes Directors' Fortnight as its inaugural film. The American-set drama marks the first feature involvement for actor Barry Keoghan's production company, Wolfcub Productions.
- Co-Written with screenwriter Marina Stepnova, the film explores a Circassian family's life in New Jersey. Balagov's first English-language feature shifts from the Russian settings of his previous work, including his 2019 masterpiece Beanpole.
- Keoghan stars as a father to 16-year-old Talha Akdogan's Temir, alongside Riley Keough. DP Jomo Fray's propulsive camerawork crafts what critics call a 'mood-driven portrait' of this marginalized immigrant community.
- Currently filming Sam Mendes' four-part Beatles biopics, Keoghan told The Hollywood Reporter he balances commercial acting with personal projects through Wolfcub Productions. He seeks emerging directors to challenge his comfort zone.
- Critics suggest Butterfly Jam may prove 'more divisive than the filmmaker's previous work,' though Balagov's 'prodigious formal gifts' remain undisputed. The film confirms his status as a distinct voice in international cinema.
12 Articles
12 Articles
The 79th Film Festival is continuing in Cannes. On 13 May, the film premiered a new film by Cantemir Balagov, "Butterfly Jam." The previous film by the director, "Dilda", was awarded the award for the best directorship at the Cannes Festival's "Special View" programme in 2019; his new work is presented in the "Double Week of Filmmakers." "Varenier from Butterfly Jam" shows the story of Temir, a young man living in New Jersey who fights and assis…
Barry Keoghan’s Big Cannes Plans: The Irishman Candidly Talks ‘Butterfly Jam,’ Playing Sir Ringo Starr and Tackling Fatherhood: “It’s OK to Be You as a Dad”
Barry Keoghan is premiering his first Cannes-bound production company 'Butterfly Jam,' from Kantemir Balagov. What else has he got up his sleeve?
After the remarkable "Tesnota", awarded at the Festival in 2017, the filmmaker once again portrays the Cherkess community, from which he emerged, in a story of filiation relocated to the United States frustrating and predictable.
The Irish actor, nominated for the Oscar for the island's spirits, is the protagonist of the film that opens the Quinzaine des Cinéastes. Russian director Kantemir Balagov, who left his country after the outbreak of the war in Ukraine, signs it.
‘Butterfly Jam’ Review: Barry Keoghan and Riley Keough Are Circassian Siblings in Kantemir Balagov’s Vibrant but Unruly Community Portrait
Starring Barry Keoghan, Riley Keough and Harry Melling, Kantemir Balagov's 'Butterfly Jam' confirms his extraordinary formal capabilities.
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