Butterfly: A Grimm Love Story
Encyclopedia
Grimm Love is a 2007 psychological horror
film
inspired by the Armin Meiwes
cannibal murder case.
plays Katie Armstrong, an American student in Germany
studying criminal psychology
. She chooses a notorious subject for her thesis: the cannibal killer Oliver Hartwin (played by Thomas Kretschmann
). Oliver dreamed of eating a willing victim, and thanks to the internet, he was able to find a volunteer, a young man Simon Grombeck (played by Thomas Huber).
The story is told in flashbacks as Katie researches these men and their pasts. Events culminate in Katie's discovery of a snuff tape that documents the crime.
.
on 27 August 2006 under the title Grimm Love.
In October 2006, the film won four awards at the Festival de Cine de Sitges
: Best Director, Best Actor (Thomas Kretschmann and Thomas Huber), and Best Cinematography. It won the Melies d'Argent at the Luxembourg International Film Festival. In July 2007, the film won Best Director and Best Actor (Thomas Kretschman and Thomas Huber) at the Puchon International Fantastic Film Festival
.
Rohtenburg was scheduled for release in Germany
on 9 March 2006. In March 2006, the film was banned by a German court for infringing the personal rights of Armin Meiwes
, but the film has been sold for international release and will be shown worldwide. In May 2009, the Federal Court of Justice
annulled the ban in favor of freedom of arts.
The film has also screened at Austin's SXSW Festival, among others, in advance of its US release. It is part of the 2010 Fangoria FrightFest.
Psychological horror
Psychological horror is a subgenre of horror fiction that relies on character fears, guilt, beliefs, eerie sound effects, relevant music and emotional instability to build tension and further the plot...
film
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
inspired by the Armin Meiwes
Armin Meiwes
Armin Meiwes is a German man who achieved international notoriety for killing and eating a voluntary victim whom he had found via the Internet. After Meiwes and the victim jointly attempted to eat the victim's severed penis, Meiwes killed his victim and proceeded to eat a large amount of his flesh...
cannibal murder case.
Plot
Keri RussellKeri Russell
Keri Lynn Russell is an American actress and dancer. After appearing in a number of made-for-television films and series during the mid-1990s, she came to fame for portraying the title role of Felicity Porter on the series Felicity, which ran from 1998 to 2002, and for which she won a Golden Globe...
plays Katie Armstrong, an American student in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
studying criminal psychology
Criminal psychology
Criminal psychology is the study of the wills, thoughts, intentions and reactions of criminals. It is related to the field of criminal anthropology. The study goes deeply into what makes someone commit crime, but also the reactions after the crime, on the run or in court...
. She chooses a notorious subject for her thesis: the cannibal killer Oliver Hartwin (played by Thomas Kretschmann
Thomas Kretschmann
Thomas Kretschmann is a German actor best known for playing Leutnant Hans Von Witzland in the 1993 film Stalingrad, Hauptmann Wilm Hosenfeld in The Pianist, Hermann Fegelein in Der Untergang, and Captain Englehorn in the 2005 remake of King Kong.-Early life:Kretschmann was born in Dessau, former...
). Oliver dreamed of eating a willing victim, and thanks to the internet, he was able to find a volunteer, a young man Simon Grombeck (played by Thomas Huber).
The story is told in flashbacks as Katie researches these men and their pasts. Events culminate in Katie's discovery of a snuff tape that documents the crime.
Cast
- Keri RussellKeri RussellKeri Lynn Russell is an American actress and dancer. After appearing in a number of made-for-television films and series during the mid-1990s, she came to fame for portraying the title role of Felicity Porter on the series Felicity, which ran from 1998 to 2002, and for which she won a Golden Globe...
as Katie Armstrong - Thomas KretschmannThomas KretschmannThomas Kretschmann is a German actor best known for playing Leutnant Hans Von Witzland in the 1993 film Stalingrad, Hauptmann Wilm Hosenfeld in The Pianist, Hermann Fegelein in Der Untergang, and Captain Englehorn in the 2005 remake of King Kong.-Early life:Kretschmann was born in Dessau, former...
as Oliver Hartwin - Thomas HuberThomas HuberThomas Huber , is a German climber and mountaineer. He lives in Berchtesgaden with his family. His brother and climbing partner is the German climber Alexander Huber....
as Simon Grombeck - Rainier Meissner as Young Oliver
- Angelika Bartsch as Viktoria
- Alexander Martschewski as Rudy
- Nils Dommning as Karl
- Marcus Lucas as Felix
- Pascal Andres as Young Simon
- Helga Bellinghausen as Simon's Mom
- Tatjana Clasing as Hanna
- Stefan Gebelhoff as Simon's Dad
- Jonas Gruber as Rainer
- Nikolai KinskiNikolai KinskiNanhoï Nikolai Kinski is a film actor, and the only acknowledged son of the prolific actor Klaus Kinski and his third wife, Minhoi Geneviève Loanic. He is the half-brother of actresses Nastassja Kinski and Pola Kinski. Nikolai was born in France, but was raised in California, United States...
as Otto Hauser - Renate Naujoks as House Wife
- Valerie Niehaus as Margit
- Jörg Reimers as Oliver's Dad
- Sybille J. Schedwill as Frau Schinder
- Pierre Shrady as The principal
- Axel Wedekind as Domino
Production
The film is directed by music-video specialist Martin Weisz and written by T.S. Faull. The producers made Igby Goes DownIgby Goes Down
Igby Goes Down is a 2002 comedy-drama film that follows the life of Igby Slocumb, a rebellious and sardonic New York City teenager who attempts to break free of his familial ties and wealthy, overbearing mother...
.
Release
The film had its World Premiere at London FrightFest Film FestivalLondon FrightFest Film Festival
FrightFest is an annual film festival held in central London over the August Bank Holiday weekend. The first event was held in the year 2000....
on 27 August 2006 under the title Grimm Love.
In October 2006, the film won four awards at the Festival de Cine de Sitges
Festival de Cine de Sitges
The Sitges Film Festival is a Spanish film festival that is one of the most recognizable ones held in Europe, considered the world's foremost international festival specializing in fantasy and horror movies...
: Best Director, Best Actor (Thomas Kretschmann and Thomas Huber), and Best Cinematography. It won the Melies d'Argent at the Luxembourg International Film Festival. In July 2007, the film won Best Director and Best Actor (Thomas Kretschman and Thomas Huber) at the Puchon International Fantastic Film Festival
Puchon International Fantastic Film Festival
The Puchon International Fantastic Film Festival , or PiFan, is an international film festival held annually in July in Bucheon, South Korea...
.
Rohtenburg was scheduled for release in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
on 9 March 2006. In March 2006, the film was banned by a German court for infringing the personal rights of Armin Meiwes
Armin Meiwes
Armin Meiwes is a German man who achieved international notoriety for killing and eating a voluntary victim whom he had found via the Internet. After Meiwes and the victim jointly attempted to eat the victim's severed penis, Meiwes killed his victim and proceeded to eat a large amount of his flesh...
, but the film has been sold for international release and will be shown worldwide. In May 2009, the Federal Court of Justice
Federal Court of Justice of Germany
The Federal Court of Justice of Germany in Karlsruhe is the highest court in the system of ordinary jurisdiction in Germany. It is the supreme court in all matters of criminal and private law...
annulled the ban in favor of freedom of arts.
The film has also screened at Austin's SXSW Festival, among others, in advance of its US release. It is part of the 2010 Fangoria FrightFest.