AUSTIN, TEXAS — National Geographic Explorer and filmmaker Rena Effendi’s new documentary feature, Searching for Satyrus, will have its North American premiere at the Austin Film Festival with two screenings:
Saturday, October 25 | 6:30pm – 8:30 pm CDT | Rollins Theatre at the Long Center, 701 W Riverside Dr, Austin, TX 78704 (RSVP here)Monday October 27 | 2:30pm – 4:38pm CDT | Galaxy Theatre, 6700 Middle Fiskville Rd., Austin, TX 78752 (RSVP here)
The film centers on the rare and elusive butterfly, Satyrus effendi, named after Rena’s late father, an enigmatic butterfly scientist from Azerbaijan. “In his lifetime, he collected over 90,000 butterflies, but was never able to catch this one,” Effendi shares.
The endangered Satyrus effendi butterfly flies only once a year, at an elevation of 3,000 meters, along the militarized border of Armenia and Azerbaijan – two countries that have been at war for decades. Set against this backdrop of rugged mountains, the film follows Rena’s personal quest as she retraces her father’s old butterfly hunting routes from her native Azerbaijan into Armenia.
Rena’s directorial debut, Searching for Satyrus, deftly navigates not just the physical terrain, but the emotional and political landscapes of the region. In her search for the butterfly, Rena seeks to unite Armenians and Azerbaijanis, highlighting that “nature knows no politics” in a region long divided by conflict and political strife.
Screening DetailsWHAT: Searching for Satyrus, North American PremiereWHERE: Austin Film Festival, Austin, Texas (Various locations)WHEN: Saturday, October 25 and Monday, October 27WRITER/DIRECTOR: Rena Effendi, National Geographic ExplorerContact
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