Catalan film on climate refugees Black Butterflies wins UN backing

The Catalan-produced film Mariposas Negras (Black Butterflies) has received an endorsement from the United Nations (UN).

Directed by David Baute, the animated film highlights the plight of climate refugees, those forced to migrate due to the effects of global warming.

Inspired by real women, the story centers on Tanit, Valeria and Shaila, three women from different parts of the world who lose everything to climate change and are forced to leave their homes.

The characters represent different regions and crises: one flees Africa after Hurricane Irma, another flees Kenya due to drought and water conflicts, and a third flees the Himalayas after flooding caused by rising sea levels and melting glaciers.

"Migrations due to politics or war are recognized, but not those caused by climate change," Baute told the Catalan News Agency (ACN).

The director emphasizes that climate migrants face a very difficult journey and that it is one of the main cause of migration worldwide.

According to Baute, these refugees not only endure forced displacement and cultural loss, but also face harsh treatment in their new homes.

"They would have it easier if they were officially recognized by the international community, because they face an incredibly difficult future," he says.

Baute, a documentary filmmaker, has spent years traveling and collecting stories, focusing on climate refugees for the past 15 years.

The director explains that after immersing himself in several communities, he found these three stories that reflect that this tragedy could happen anywhere in the world.

Originally conceived as a documentary, the project transitioned to animation in order to effectively portray the subjects' past experiences, which were difficult to portray through traditional footage. 

Baute says that animation is a narrative technique but insists that the film remains firmly rooted in documentary filmmaking. In fact, it has been selected for more documentary festivals than animation festivals. 

The film, which will also be dubbed into Catalan, will be released in cinemas on December 5.