Butterfly Man
"Butterfly on the finger" by Tambako the Jaguar is licensed under CC BY-ND 2.0.
Cutout Animated Short Film, directed by Amir Mehran (2013)
(7:40 minutes)
Warning: This film contains scenes of flogging and other violent acts inflicted on humans.
Vocabula
Cicātrix -īcis, f. a scar
Dīves -itis rich (man)
Lectīca -ae, f. litter
Papilio -onis, m. butterfly
Pilula -ae, f. pill
Plaustrum -i, n. cart
Vastus -a -um empty, deserted, desolate
Verbero -are to whip, flog
Volito -are to fly to and fro, flutter
Genitive of value
Examples: oratio nullius momenti “a speech of no importance”
Equum maximi aestimo. “I value my horse very highly”
Honores parvi aestimat. “He considers honores of little value.”
Amica magni est. “She is a friend of great worth.”
Who/What do you value? What do you place little value on? Write one sentence in Latin answering each question.
Fabulae scriptum
In urbe vasta homo prope tabernam manet.
E taberna dives exit et plaustrum ascendit, murmurans.
Hominem verberat et homo plaustrum difficile trahit. Papilio homo.
homo plaustrum trans pontem trahit. Papilio volitans in olla capitur.
Ad tabernam redeunt et dives pilulam homini dat.
Ille pilulam consumit et in prato pulchro se videt.
Subito plagam sentit et alter dives iubet eum ire.
homo plaustrum difficile trahit.
Ad tabernam adveniunt et alter pilulam ei dat, sed ea ad terram cadit.
Ille in prato obscuro media nocte evigilat et papilionem volitantem videt.
Lunam spectat et quinque papiliones volitantes videt.
Femina in plaustro sedet in telephonum dicens.
Ad tabernam adveniunt et homo papilionem in fenestra videt.
Mox, papilione in crinibus adfixo, femina redit.
Primus dives in plaustrum ascendit celerius quam ea.
Hominem verberat et ad feminam crudeliter ridet.
Ille trans pontem trahit in silva vasta.
Pilulam accipite et oculos claudit.
Dives rete invenit et murmurans papilionem petit.
Homo os aperit et pilula ad terram cadit.
Dives etiam murmurans papilionem petit et capit.
Papilione volitante, dives hominem verberat.
Eum apprehendit, ollam demittit, et fracta est. papilio fugit.
iterum dives murmurans papilionem petit.
Papilio prope hominem consistit et in caelum volat. Intellegit se magni esse.
Ille iratus plaustrum frangit et de ponte depellit.
Iterum dives murmurans papilionem petit sed homo eum apprehendit.
Magno odio divitem de ponte depellit.
Papilionem volitantem spectat, tum multos papiliones in caelo volitantes.
Solem spectans, cicatrices fiunt alae.
Finis.
Comprehension
In quibus locis papiliones videmus?
2. Match the phrase with the character.
Reflection
One comment on the film says the film is about surviving the everyday burdens and the scars that are left behind? Do you agree?
Why was the butterfly man given pills? How might the pills be an example of Roman emperors offering the masses “bread and circuses”?
Is the film also about enslavement? What images in the film might justify such an interpretation?