Short film

The Monarch Butterfly

1980 · 30 min

A chilly, cerebral Soviet fable that unfolds slowly, leaving an uneasy sense of human ambition outrunning wisdom.

Directed by: Avtandil Kvirikashvili
Genres: Science fiction, Tv movie
Starring: Donatas Banionis, Juozas Kiselius, Aleksandr Abdulov

Overview: A young biophysicist, dreaming of spiritual and physical immortality, makes an experiment on himself: by radioactive irradiation he violates the genetic code, as a result of which he passes into another biological substance and becomes immeasurably more perfect than his fellows on Earth.

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In the UKNo streaming, rental or purchase options known.

Directed by: Avtandil Kvirikashvili
Genres: Science fiction, Tv movie
Starring: Donatas Banionis, Juozas Kiselius, Aleksandr Abdulov

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How it feels

Written by AI. It can be wrong.

Tone: eeriestrength 2 of 3
melancholicstrength 2 of 3
tensestrength 2 of 3
darkstrength 1 of 3
Pacing: slow-burn, 1 of 4, from slow-burn to relentless
Attention: engaged, 3 of 4, from background-friendly to demanding
Themes: science
identity
ambition
obsession
isolation
Places: workplace
Era: contemporary
Audience: adult
Form: single location
Content intensity: Gore mild
Language none
Violence mild
Sex none

All scales, 0 to 10

Scales, 0 to 10
Scale	Value	0 to 10
Action	2
Horror	4
Humour	1
Realism	4
Romance	1
Tension	5
Darkness	6
Complexity	7
Emotional weight	6

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Where to watch in the UK

No UK streaming, rental or purchase options are known.

Streaming data from JustWatch.TMDB

Details

Genres: science fiction, tv movie
Directed by: Avtandil Kvirikashvili
Written by: Vytautas Žalakevičius
Starring: Donatas Banionis, Juozas Kiselius, Aleksandr Abdulov, David Mkrtchyan, Algimantas Masiulis, Albert Filozov
Cinematography: Genri Abramyan
Runtime: 30 min
Country: Soviet Union

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The Monarch Butterfly

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Where to watch in the UK

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