Directed by Caraz and choreographed Alessandro Giaquinto, ‘Do Butterflies Remember Being Caterpillars’ is a captivating experimental short that explores one man’s physicality through a dance recital. The short film opens as our protagonist, played by Luca “Lazylegz” Patuelli, starts his day. The 5-minute film, set entirely within a home, captures the performers physical movements as he washes, dresses, eats and performs.
The narrative follows a man progression into adulthood, beginning with child-like, careless and curious movements that slowly advance into considerate and physically demanding routines. The choreographer (Alessandro Giaquinto), along with the director, have created an emotionally moving film that succeeds by relying on physical expression alone. No dialogue or traditional story narrative is followed, which can be a challenge to pull-off, but the experimental short provides viewers with an insightful journey.
Derek Branscombe’s flowing cinematography is wonderous to watch and couples remarkably with Patuelli’s dance performance. Lighting and colour-grading are of high spec and quality that secures a professional look. Luca “Lazylegz” Patuelli delivers a truly astounding performance that keeps the viewer engaged. Despite disability, Patuelli triumphs in physical expression with authentic emotion – mastering the story-led dance recital beautifully. This is an experimental short not to be overlooked.
