“You can live all your life on your knees if you want. But I can’t and I won’t,” says 15-year-old Frances (Hazel Doupe) in a a new trailer for Carmel Winters’ “Float Like a Butterfly.” Set in 1960s Ireland, the drama sees the teen girl refusing to conform to the sexist expectations.
Frances’ father (Dara Devaney) has given her a love of Muhammad Ali, but he won’t give her encouragement to pursue her dreams of becoming a great fighter herself. He thinks she should focus her attention on getting married and having babies.
The trailer sees Frances showing her dad just how strong she is when he strikes her in a drunken rage and she retaliates.
“The film is about finding the strength and courage to carve our own destiny,” Winters told us. “Our sense of belonging is precious, so how can we balance that need with our need to be free?” She continued, “Patriarchy is not an abstract concept. How can we fight ‘the machine’ when the machine is manned by those we love?”
“Float Like a Butterfly” made its world premiere at the 2018 Toronto International Film Festival this September. No word on a release date yet. The film marks Winters’ follow-up to her feature debut, 2010’s “Snap.”
