“Butterfly Swimming” leads Iran’s box office

TEHRAN- (Iranart)- Mohammad Kart’s directorial debut “Butterfly Swimming” has hit a new record at Iranian box offices for online screening by grossing over 40 billion rials (over $950,000 at the official exchange rate of 42,000 rials per dollar), Honaronline reported on Sunday.

Although the film was pirated and illegally uploaded on some websites and Telegram channels just before its first streaming on Filimo, a major Iranian platform for the online movie screening, it has hit a new record at the Iranian box office for online screening, the report added.

“Butterfly Swimming” tells the story of Hashem, a gang member whose wife’s swimming video goes viral. Now Hashem and his brother-in-law Hojjat are looking for the person who uploaded the video on the net.

The film is followed by Peyman Qasemkhani’s Good, Bad, Garish 2: The Secret Army” and Ebrahim Hatamikia’s “Exodus”.

“Butterfly Swimming” was supposed to go on screen in summer; however, due to the shutdown of the movie theaters during the COVID-19 pandemic in Iran, the screening was postponed.

Back in July Rasul Sadr-Ameli, the producer of “Butterfly Swimming”, said that he has canceled the premiere of the film in support of the medical staff serving COVID-19 patients in hospitals across the country.

“Based on the talks we had with members of the Screening Council of the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance, the decision to stop the screening of the film was agreed upon,” he said.

“We were negotiating with the Health Ministry to screen the film for health care staff in hospitals dealing with the coronavirus to watch the film for free. However, due to the increasing death toll and the current situation we decided to stop the screening, and hope that in rescreening the movie at some future time the staff will have more free time to watch the film in peace and with less anxiety,” he explained.

“When the movie theaters resumed activities and the film went on screen three weeks ago, the death toll numbers were low and we did not think they would increase in less than two weeks. We are waiting for this virus to be controlled so the rescreening can begin,” he concluded.

Moreover, “Butterfly Swimming” was crowned best audience film at the 38th edition of the Fajr Film Festival last February.

Tannaz Tabatabai received the best-supporting actress award for her cameo role in the film, which also brought Amir Aqai the best supporting actor honor.

The film also took first place in the top six selected by the Association of Islamic Revolution Writers and Film Critics from among the movies screened at the 38th Fajr Film Festival.

source: Tehran Times