Miss Butterfly

Streaming video - 1965

When their father dies, 17-year-old Helene Raupe and her little sister become orphans. Abandoned by their aunt, they must face the challenges of daily life in East Berlin. Helene is only happy in her dreams, where she can fly or be a stewardess or model. In real life, in contrast, she fails to meet people’s expectations and loses several jobs. Combining fantasy scenes and documentary elements filmed with a hidden camera on the streets, MISS BUTTERFLY was slated to be the first official experimental feature film made in the GDR. While still in production in 1965/1966, however, it was banned for its supposedly negative portrayal of everyday reality and its representation of bourgeois philosophies. In 2020, this unique film was finally recon...structed based on the original script, using preserved film and audio materials. more