The Butterfly Room

The Butterfly Room
Directed by	Jonathan Zarantonello
Starring	Barbara Steele Ray Wise Erica Leerhsen Heather Langenkamp
Music by	Pivio and Aldo De Scalzi
Country	United States Italy
Language	English Italian
Box office	$1,081

The Butterfly Room is a 2012 American-Italian thriller-horror film directed by Jonathan Zarantonello. It is based on Zarantonello's novel Alice dalle 4 alle 5 (Alice from 4 to 5). The film won the Denis-de-Rougemont Youth Award at the 2012 Neuchâtel International Fantastic Film Festival. The film stars Barbara Steele, Ray Wise, Erica Leerhsen and Heather Langenkamp.

The film centers around Ann, an introverted unfriendly woman who lives in an apartment building with her neighbour, a single mother named Claudia and her daughter Julie. Ann has an obsession with pinning butterflies and has room in her apartment devoted to it. At the beginning of the film, Ann walks past a workman balancing dangerously on a ladder whilst trimming a tree. She kicks the ladder out from beneath him. The workman's boss, Nick, runs out and apologises - having not seen that Ann was responsible. Julie has been locked out by her irresponsible mother. Ann invites her inside her apartment to pass the time until her mother arrives home.

Julie's mother, Claudia arrives home and invites Ann to dinner to thank her for looking after Julie. The workman arrives at Ann's house to apologise and do some repairs. He explains that he thought she may have kicked his ladder because he had previously seen her scolding a young girl in the corridor of the apartment building. Ann says she had not noticed he was there. Ann asks if he could quickly help her move something in the butterfly room. Just as the door opens she lunges from the corner and sprays him in the face with the acid she bought from the taxidermy shop.

This is followed by a flashback sequence, the first being the scene where she scolds the young girl. We then see a time decal of the month previous where she meets the girl in a mall. She sees the girl by herself crying and goes over to check on her. The girl, whose name is Alice, explains that the money she had been given to buy a doll has been stolen. Ann pities Alice and buys her a doll. Alice asks for Ann's address and says she will repay her later. As she walks away, Alice throws the doll in a trashcan. The film then flashes forward to Alice visiting Ann. She gives Ann a portrait she drew of her, Ann returns the gesture by gifting a pinned blue butterfly. Alice sees a handmade ornament with Dorothy inscribed on it. Ann explains that Dorothy is her deceased daughter. Alice looks around the apartment and sees that there are some french books on Ann's shelf. When she leaves, Alice asks Ann if she can keep the money she was supposed to repay her for the doll and explains her mother is disabled. Ann agrees to give Alice the money and offers to tutor Alice in French. Alice agrees to come back.

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