After a crowdfunding campaign to get his film about a teenage swimmer suffering from epilepsy raised more than UK£1,000, Alex Withers has finished filming and released a trailer for “Butterfly” today.
The film follows the life of British teenager with a promising swimming career. A severe epileptic seizure puts her dreams in danger, and affects her family and friends. Withers, who wrote the screenplay, told Swimming World in February 2014 that he chose swimming as the backdrop because he was drawn to the motif of water as both freeing and constricting.
“For ‘Butterfly,’ I wanted to tell the story of a young epilepsy sufferer refusing to let the condition rule her life and as a sport in which losing consciousness or lucidity means a life-threatening situation,” Withers said. “It felt very natural for the character Jane to show great determination in the world of swimming. The beauty and unique feeling of being in and under the water is something we’re all eager to capture in ‘Butterfly,’ and the power of water to inspire both wonder and fear is a striking motif throughout the film.”
Withers said the film should be finished this fall in time for it to make the rounds at various film festivals. That will be followed by a release for online viewing.
”Butterfly” trailer
BUTTERFLY (Trailer) – Short Film 2015 from Alex Withers on Vimeo.
Wow! We sure loved watching out flyer when she swam