Papillon Short Film (Butterfly) (2024)

Watch the new 2024 animated Papillon Short Film (Butterfly). A heartwarming story about growth and transformation. Stream it now.

🎬 “Papillon Short Film (Butterfly)” (2024) 🏊‍♂️🦋

Watch Papillon Short Film (Butterfly), the captivating 2024 short film that soars with emotion and beauty. Discover the journey of transformation today.

📋 Quick Facts

• Year: 2024 🗓️
• Runtime: 15 minutes ⏱️
• Country: France 🇫🇷
• Language: French (with subtitles)
• Genre: Animated Drama 🎨
• Director: Florence Miailhe 🎥
• Status: César-nominated, Berlinale Crystal Bear winner, Oscar-eligible 🏆

Watch the Shorts Online

🎭 Synopsis

Alfred Nakache, a Jewish French butterfly stroke champion 🏊‍♂️, swims in the sea as memories flood back. From his early childhood in North Africa to glorious Olympic competitions (including the 1936 Berlin Games), from the trauma of losing his wife and child at Auschwitz 💔 to rebuilding his life on the dream beaches of Réunion 🌊—this is the story of his last swim, where water becomes both a metaphor for life and a vessel for memory.

The film uses painting, pastel, and sand animation—Miailhe’s signature style—to create a profoundly poetic visual journey 🎨✨.

🌟 Key Themes

• Resilience through tragedy 💪
• Antisemitism and its devastation ✡️⚠️
• Water as memory & life force 💧🧠
• Jewish identity & survival 🕊️
• The butterfly stroke as symbolic movement 🦋

🏆 Awards & Recognition

• Berlin International Film Festival 2024: Crystal Bear for Best Short Film (Generation KPlus) 🐻
• César Awards 2024: Nominated for Best Animated Short 🏆
• Annecy International Animation Festival: Cristal nomination ✨
• Stuttgart International Animation Festival: Grand Prix winner 🥇
• Jewish Film Institute: Featured as December 2025 Online Short 🎬

🎬 Technical Details

• Animation Technique: Hand-painted under-camera animation using oil paint, pastel, and sand 🖌️
• Voice Cast: Fayçal Zafi (Alfred), Yassine Mestaoui (Young Alfred) 🎭
• Music: Pierre Oberkampf 🎵
• Producer: Sacrebleu Productions (Paris) 🎬

💬 Director’s Note

Papillon Short Film (Butterfly) (2024); Florence Miailhe was personally connected—she learned to swim with Nakache’s younger brother and remembered him from childhood. She wanted to tell a story about “resilience, transmission, memory, and political issues” through the lens of a Jewish athlete whose life was shattered by hatred but rebuilt through perseverance.

📺 Where to Watch

• Streaming: Available on TV5MONDE+, MUBI, Jewish Film Institute platform 📱
• Festivals: Continues international festival circuit through 2025 🎪
• Oscar Eligibility: Qualified for 2025 Academy Awards consideration 🏆

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Bottom Line: Papillon Short Film (Butterfly) (2024); This 15-minute animated masterpiece is a stunningly beautiful and profoundly moving tribute to a forgotten Jewish champion. Miailhe’s unique visual style transforms Nakache’s harrowing yet inspiring life into liquid poetry—a must-see for animation lovers and anyone drawn to stories of survival against all odds 💫🦋