| Swallowtail Butterfly | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Shunji Iwai |
| Produced by | Shinya Kawai |
| Written by | Shunji Iwai |
| Starring | Hiroshi Mikami, Chara, Ayumi Ito Yosuke Eguchi Andy Hui Atsuro Watabe |
| Music by | Takeshi Kobayashi |
| Cinematography | Noboru Shinoda |
| Release date(s) | September 14, 1996 |
| Running time | 148 min. |
| Language | Japanese English Mandarin |
Swallowtail (スワロウテイル Suwarōteiru), also known as Swallowtail Butterfly or Yentown, is a 1996 movie by Japanese film director Shunji Iwai, starring Hiroshi Mikami, pop-singer Chara, and Ayumi Ito.
The film was shot on hand-held cameras using jump cuts and other visual techniques.[1] It covers a wide array of themes and genres, from social-realism to coming-of-age to crime. It has been both applauded and criticized by viewers.
A theme song for the film under Yen Town Band "Swallowtail Butterfly (Ai no Uta)" gained No. 1 on the Oricon Weekly Singles Chart.
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The film is set in Tokyo at some unknown time when the yen, the Japanese currency, was very strong. For this reason immigrants who have come to work in the city call it "Yen Town".[2]
The story centers on a sixteen-year-old girl (Ito) whose mother has just died. The girl is passed on from person to person until she is taken in by a Chinese prostitute named Glico (Chara), who names her Ageha (Japanese for swallowtail). Under Glico's care, Ageha has many experiences with the other immigrants in Yen Town.
The immigrant characters, who speak Japanese, English, Mandarin, or Cantonese, earn their living by committing petty crimes and engaging in prostitution. Ageha does not participate in any of these activities, but is protected by Glico and the other immigrants. The film does not make clear whether Ageha is Japanese or an Asian immigrant.[2]
Eventually, due to a sudden twist in fate, the immigrants are given a chance to realize their various dreams. But in doing so, they destroy their solidarity, and have to face their problems separately.
Swallowtail Butterfly was also nominated for but did not win the following awards:
Japan: ¥2, 928, 000, 000
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