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Aria

2001 10 min
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This animated short by Pjotr Sapegin is inspired by Puccini's opera Madame Butterfly. The puppet Butterfly lives alone on an island, until a white ship brings the handsome sailor Pinkerton. They become passionate lovers. Eventually his ship leaves, and Butterfly waits longingly for her lover to return. She feels an ocean of life growing in her belly. The ocean swells, and a small, unprotected mussel washes up on the shores of her body. He soon grows into a beautiful child. But when Pinkerton finally returns, he tears away Butterfly's child, dashing all her hopes. Butterfly can only find comfort in …

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This work contains scenes of nudity and/or sexuality. Viewer discretion is advised.
Aria

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This animated short by Pjotr Sapegin is inspired by Puccini's opera Madame Butterfly. The puppet Butterfly lives alone on an island, until a white ship brings the handsome sailor Pinkerton. They become passionate lovers. Eventually his ship leaves, and Butterfly waits longingly for her lover to return. She feels an ocean of life growing in her belly. The ocean swells, and a small, unprotected mussel washes up on the shores of her body. He soon grows into a beautiful child. But when Pinkerton finally returns, he tears away Butterfly's child, dashing all her hopes. Butterfly can only find comfort in death... but how is a puppet to die?

This work contains scenes of nudity and/or sexuality. Viewer discretion is advised.
  • director
    Pjotr Sapegin
  • producer
    David Reiss-Andersen
    Marcel Jean
  • assistant to the producer
    Francine Langdeau
  • screenplay
    Berit Reiss-Andersen
  • director of photography
    Janne Hansen
  • animation
    Pjotr Sapegin
    Ronald Kubicek Hansen
  • puppets
    Eugenia Bogolubova
  • models
    Ronald Kubicek Hansen
  • puppets daily care
    Christine Groos
  • director assistant
    Kaja Wright Polmar
    Siri Natvik
  • special effects
    Natasha Nikitina
  • editor
    Pal Gengenbach
  • photography consultant
    Kjell Vassdal
  • equipment
    Natasha Nikitina
  • negative processing
    Film Teknikk Norge
  • digital post production
    Logo Digital Film Lab
  • post-production services
    Dorte Kampp
  • colorist
    Natasha Leonett
  • Inferno artist
    Claus Greffel
  • Arri Laser recording
    Andreas Rostock
    Pelle Folmer
  • processing intermediate negative
    Jens Kruse
  • music
    Giacomo Puccini
  • musical arrangement
    Normand Roger
  • musical adaptation
    Normand Roger
  • musical arrangement - collaboration
    Denis Chartrand
  • musical adaptation - collaboration
    Denis Chartrand
  • soloist
    Natalie Choquette
  • music recording
    François Arbour
  • sound editing
    Jean-Baptiste Roger
  • re-recording
    Serge Boivin
  • technical coordination
    Andrée Delagrave

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