17-year-old Giddy spends a week in England seeking reconnection with her estranged sister, Julie. On the night of Julie’s 24th birthday, Giddy faces a tumultuous transition into adulthood. The sisters clash as old patterns and memories remerge.
My Sister is a Butterfly is a story about grief and growing pains told through an exploration of queer Malaysian diasporic experiences against the backdrop of an escalating climate crisis.
Directed by Emily Ong Shuyi
Written by Emily Ong & Tom Blackman
Produced by Arunveer Kahlon & Emily Ong
Featuring Charmaine Cheong | Emily Ong
Klara Grapci-Germizaj | Christelle Elwin
Charlie Murray | Chowee Leow | Lee Si Jin
Jody Low | Lim Sheng Hui | Alfred Loh
Inspired by the years I spent navigating my early 20s in England, this story offers my perspective on the lasting impact of Empire through the lens of a coming-of-age tale.
The film is somewhere between a time capsule and a meditation on my experiences and is a story for anyone who has been an outsider in a hostile environment.
ARTWORK
The original poster (on the left) is a collaboration with my friend and talented artist, Akilah Chambers. Together we conceptualised the sisters 'in the woods' as a metaphorical visualisation of their relationship to each other as well as to their natural environment.
Akilah conjured these wonderful charcoal and pastel drawings that were scanned in so that I could digitally combine the layers and play around with type and colour to complete the final piece.
In both posters I wanted the artwork for the film to feel like one of those Malaysian folklore storybook covers I used to read in school. The use of colour and the style of text is heavily inspired by this.
Other influences include the merging of reality and supernatural explored in Eng Hwee Chu's paintings and Francisco de Goya's etching prints.
THE TEAM
Producer Arunveer Kahlon | Casting Ella McDonald | Acting Coach Jenny Eastop |
Production Manager Harry Harwood | 1st Asst. Director Kyle Campbell-Pope | 2nd Asst. Director Sophie Yau Billington | Script Supervisor Dhurga Kendra Menon | Production Asst. Gabe Alborough | DOP Jeff Yeung |
1st Asst. Cam Kate Siu | 2nd Asst. Cam Geraldine Piong | Key Grip Benjamin Hovington | Gaffer Victor Wong |
Best Person Amelie-Ash Clain | Spark Orpheas Kourbelis | Sound Recordist Aroa Fuentes Gómez |
Production Designer Lindsay Potter | Art Director Ugnė Kriščiūnaitė | Art Asst. Hazel Ngo |
Costume Designer Mariana De Lima | Costume Producer Kymara Akinpelumi |
Costume Asst. Salomé Gonçalves | Styling Asst. Effie McClure | Hair & Makeup Mika Matsumoto |
Makeup Jun Sato | Editor Iacovos Le Du | Sound Designer & Mixer Aroa Fuentes Gómez | Composer Orla Fleming | Original music Owen Davies | Additional SFX vėja | Colourist & DIT Jeff Yeung | BTS Edward Sogunro
Malaysian Unit | Production Manager Fahmi Sani | DOP Jennifer Tan Siu Ien | 1st Asst. Cam Bolton Ang |
Jody's Chaperone Joel Low
UK Camera & Lighting Kit Luminarix | Kit Transport Joe Baker | Sound Kit Soundcatchers
Soundtrack | Prontaxan This Is A Kennox | Owen Davies People In The Back | Apollo Stark, Izz, 003V Ray Donovan | Magenta Six Dance 8 V.7 (vėja remix) | vėja trüb & erdmaschine
On set!
Julie (Emily) and Giddy (Charmaine) looking at the monitor. © Harry Harwood
Poppy (Klara) and Julie (Emily) in their work uniforms. © Edward Sogunro
Charmaine
The camera team, Jeff, Kate and Geraldine
Aroa
Christelle
Arunveer and Harry
Sophie, Assistant Director
Crew at lunch time
The lighting team setting up outside. Victor and Orpheas
Charmaine and Charlie
Klara and Mika, our lead hair and makeup artist
Kate, Jeff, Victor, Geraldine and Lindsay
Aroa
Kyle, our 1st AD
Dhurga, our script supervisor at lunch
Mariana and Salomé
Harry, our production manager with Mika and Jun, our makeup team.
The Malaysians : Charmaine, Emily, Geraldine & Dhurga
Lindsay, our production designer
Kyle and Lindsay
Christelle and Charlie
Ash, Orpheas and Ben
Ben, our key grip
Ugne, our art director
Cine team
