Steel Butterfly
Short description
Steel Butterfly is a Russian crime thriller about a homeless teenager named Chuma who leads a group of runaways in committing robberies. After being caught, she is coerced by the police into acting as bait to trap a serial killer operating in the forests on the outskirts of Moscow. The operation creates an unlikely bond between the girl and a cynical detective named Khanin, who views the capture of the murderer as essential for his professional advancement while Chuma sees it as her only path to freedom.
Directed by Renat Davletyarov, this 2012 production was the first in a series of films that included The Dawns Here are Quiet and The Pilot: A Battle for Survival. The cast features Darya Melnikova as Vika Chumakova and Anatoliy Belyy as Grigoriy Khanin, alongside Darya Moroz and Pyotr Vins. Produced by Cinema Fund, Interfest, and Real Dakota, the film had a budget of 2 million USD but earned only half of that amount at the worldwide box office. Audience reception is mixed, with a rating of 6.4/10 on IMDb based on 1,400 votes, though it holds a lower score of 4.7/10 on TMDB from 28 votes.
What's left behind the scenes
- In the scene where Hanin sets out to find Chuma and gets into a car in the rain, a girl with an umbrella passes through the foreground — this is Darya Melnikova.
- Tatyana, Khanin's friend, was initially played by another actress. Renat Davletyarov decided to replace her, and all her scenes were reshot. Darya Moroz had only one day to prepare for the role.
- During the filming of the scene in the homeless children's hideout, a huge lamp fell from the ceiling; literally a second before that, the director had moved an actor from that spot.
- About 300 girls auditioned for the role of Chuma. However, Darya Melnikova did not make it into the top 10 selected by the casting director.
- The maniac who attacks the girl with the easel at the beginning of the film was played by Renat Davletyarov.
- According to the script, the character Karlik (Semyon Treskunov) was supposed to disappear from the film, but the director liked his performance so much that he not only kept him but also created a new scene where he asks to go to the park with Chuma.
Auditions in India
Casting calls in USA
Castingi w Polsce
Кастинги в Україні
