Restored 1919 Classic “The Broken Butterfly” Premieres in Los Angeles at The Egyptian Theatre

LOUIS XIII Cognac, The Film Foundation, the American Cinematheque & Filmmaker David O. Russell, co–hosted the Los Angeles premiere screening of Maurice Tourneur’s silent film THE BROKEN BUTTERFLY on December 13 at the iconic Egyptian Theatre in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California. Guests were treated to a live musical accompaniment by instructors from the Young Musicians Foundation.

The screening was followed by a Q&A and private dinner co-hosted by Oscar nominated writer and director (Silver Linings Playbook, American Hustle, The Fighter) David O. Russell at The Sunset Tower Hotel in West Hollywood.  The guests included industry’s most sought-after names in film, fashion, culture, and journalism including: Casey Graf (Actor, “Fired Up”), Eli Roth (Writer, Actor, Director), Jack Huston (Actor), Jana Savage (Actor, “The Perfect Match”), Keegan Key (Actor/Comedian, “Key & Peele/The Lion King”), Laure Hériard Dubreuil (Founder and Creative Director, The Webster), Mathieu Demy (Actor),  Rachel Roy (Designer), Rajendra Roy (Chief Film Curator, Film, MoMA), Shannon Click (Model), Stosh Mintek (CEO, Ghetto Film School), Todd Newman (Writer, Producer, Director) and Ludovic du Plessis. 

“To see a pristine print of this beautiful 1919 film is to make history alive with vitality by traveling through time to see it for ourselves – this is only one of the reasons it is a treasure to preserve and restore these remarkable cinematic artifacts,” David O. Russell, filmmaker. 

“I’m grateful for The Film Foundation’s partnership with LOUIS XIII. For many years, they have provided generous support for the foundation’s preservation, exhibition, and education programs. LOUIS XIII is passionate about its own legacy, and it’s gratifying to know they are equally committed to protecting the world’s cinematic heritage and sharing these great works of art with audiences for decades to come,” said Martin Scorsese, Founder & Chair of The Film Foundation.

“Thanks to The Film Foundation and Martin Scorsese, THE BROKEN BUTTERFLY can be experienced once again one century later. Restoring this piece of memory is for us, at LOUIS XIII, a real pleasure and honour. Time is our raw material,” said Ludovic du Plessis, Global Executive Director of LOUIS XIII.

In continuance of “100 Years,” a series of artistic projects curated by LOUIS XIII, THE BROKEN BUTTERFLY was originally completed in 1919 to be rediscovered 100 years later, thanks to a meticulous restoration by Scorsese’s The Film Foundation, supported by LOUIS XIII. A hauntingly beautiful film by director Maurice Tourneur, THE BROKEN BUTTERFLY tells the eternal story of love lost and found; of emotions and memories that shape a lifetime. The Los Angeles screening is the third in a series of events by LOUIS XIII and TFF to showcase the artistic project.

The movie THE BROKEN BUTTERFLY is available as of December 14^th, 2019 on The Film Foundation website: www.film-foundation.org

Photography provided by Owen Kolasinski / BFA on behalf of Louis XIII