- First-time actress Sara Podda (right) stars in Pretty Butterflies
At nearly every international film festival in Chicago, one inevitably finds titles that recall adolescents’ first attempts at poetry. These films reference seasons, emotions, and plants (and some occasions, all three), and suggest an unhealthy degree of preciousness. I usually end up seeing at least one of these at every festival, either out of professional obligation or because I feel like exploring the outer reaches of the program. More often than not the films live down to their names (in my experience, the ones with love in the title have had the worst track record), but I’ve learned to give them the benefit of the doubt. Distributors have been known to give movies more generic titles for the international festival circuit, likely because there’s always an audience for preciousness. And as most artists will tell you, coming up with a title can be one of the hardest parts of any creative endeavor. Even certain great filmmakers (Mike Leigh is one that comes to mind) have never mastered this step of the process.
Ben Sachs writes about moviegoing every Monday.
