Butterfly Man

As it is a cold-blooded creature, the best way to kill a butterfly is by putting it to sleep in a refrigerator and subsequently letting it die in its sleep in a freezer. In any case, this is the method that butterfly collector and keeper Don Herbison-Evans has applied to his butterflies for ages. "I like to send them to heaven." They fly around in his house until they end up in a jar in the fridge. In the Macleay Museum, Herbison-Evans carefully pins up the animals and neatly arranges them in drawers. The ugliest and oldest specimens are often the most valuable, the man jauntily explains, exhibiting a healthy dose of self-mockery. The camera follows Herbison-Evans and his fascination for butterflies in the museum and at home, until the camera suddenly captures rows of trophies on a shelf. According to Herbison-Evans, his discovery of dancing at a ripe age - he was already over fifty - has regenerated him. The costume and the competition literally give him wings. "On the dance floor, I feel myself changing from a caterpillar into a butterfly." Director Samantha Rebillet only needs six minutes for her apt portrait of this intriguing man. (International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam)