Uploaded February 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
In this Directors Notes interview, Oscar-nominated director Florence Miailhe reveals the painstaking process of animating "Butterfly" (Papillon) frame-by-frame with oil paints on glass. We explore the poignant true story of Jewish swimming champion Alfred Nakache, the challenges of depicting water and memory, and the powerful collaboration between image and Pierre Oberkampf's sound design. Florence also discusses collaborating with Oscar-winning producer Ron Dyens ("Flow"), the timely relevance of the film in our troubled world, the importance of handmade artistry in the age of AI, and gives us a rare tour of her custom animation setup.
👀 Watch the official trailer for Butterfly (Papillon) youtu.be/LxzgHBFcZc4
🔔 Watch more interviews with visionary filmmakers on our channel: youtube.com/c/directorsnotes
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🎬 Chapters:
00:00 Introduction
01:16 The Story of 'Butterfly' & Alfred Nakache
03:50 A Personal Connection: Learning to Swim with Nakache’s Brother
09:36 The Paint on Glass Technique Explained
13:01 Creating 3D Illusions with 2D Paint
16:54 Animating "Love at First Sight" & The Infinite Loop
23:11 The Soap Hack: How to Animate Bubbles
26:30 Collaborating with a Small Team on a Painted Film
31:20 STUDIO TOUR: The Camera & Lighting Rig
36:25 Sound Design: Blending Breath with Music
43:39 Using Sound for Storytelling
49:48 Collaborating with Producer Ron Dyens
52:31 Why Handmade Art Matters in the Age of AI
57:00 Why This Story is Timely Today
01:03:26 What's Next? Future Projects
01:07:56 Florence's Short Film Recommendations
#FlorenceMiailhe #ButterflyPapillon #OscarNominated #PaintOnGlass #Animation #AlfredNakache #foryourconsideration #MakingOf #behindthescenes #AnimationProcess #ShortFilm #OilPainting #directorinterview
In this Directors Notes interview, Oscar-nominated director Florence Miailhe reveals the painstaking process of animating "Butterfly" (Papillon) frame-by-frame with oil paints on glass. We explore the poignant true story of Jewish swimming champion Alfred Nakache, the challenges of depicting water and memory, and the powerful collaboration between image and Pierre Oberkampf's sound design. Florence also discusses collaborating with Oscar-winning producer Ron Dyens ("Flow"), the timely relevance of the film in our troubled world, the importance of handmade artistry in the age of AI, and gives us a rare tour of her custom animation setup.
👀 Watch the official trailer for Butterfly (Papillon) youtu.be/LxzgHBFcZc4
🔔 Watch more interviews with visionary filmmakers on our channel: youtube.com/c/directorsnotes
🎥 Want to see your film here? Submit your work to Directors Notes: directorsnotes.com/submit
📬 Get filmmaking insights delivered: Subscribe to our free Newsletter: directorsnotes.beehiiv.com/subscribe
📷 Follow us on Instagram: instagram.com/directorsnotes
🎧 Listen to our Podcast: pod.link/192507317
👍 **Loved this deep dive?** Hit LIKE, SUBSCRIBE, and turn on notifications so you never miss a conversation with the world's best filmmakers.
🎬 Chapters:
00:00 Introduction
01:16 The Story of 'Butterfly' & Alfred Nakache
03:50 A Personal Connection: Learning to Swim with Nakache’s Brother
09:36 The Paint on Glass Technique Explained
13:01 Creating 3D Illusions with 2D Paint
16:54 Animating "Love at First Sight" & The Infinite Loop
23:11 The Soap Hack: How to Animate Bubbles
26:30 Collaborating with a Small Team on a Painted Film
31:20 STUDIO TOUR: The Camera & Lighting Rig
36:25 Sound Design: Blending Breath with Music
43:39 Using Sound for Storytelling
49:48 Collaborating with Producer Ron Dyens
52:31 Why Handmade Art Matters in the Age of AI
57:00 Why This Story is Timely Today
01:03:26 What's Next? Future Projects
01:07:56 Florence's Short Film Recommendations
#FlorenceMiailhe #ButterflyPapillon #OscarNominated #PaintOnGlass #Animation #AlfredNakache #foryourconsideration #MakingOf #behindthescenes #AnimationProcess #ShortFilm #OilPainting #directorinterview
