On May 3, NOT The Last Butterfly had a sneak preview at L.A.’s Museum of Tolerance. The audience (a full house!) was warmer and more responsive than we could ever have hoped, laughing and crying in all the right places and giving Cheryl and me a standing ovation when we took the stage for a post-film discussion with museum director Liebe Geft. I was thrilled that so many of my L.A. friends were able to come and share the evening with me.
There’s really nothing like seeing a film you’ve worked on lighting up the big screen. This was a first-ever experience for Cheryl, who was ecstatic as she had every right to be. Even though I’ve enjoyed this thrill before, it never gets old. And it’s even more exciting to hear from audience members how a film has affected them. In this case, the feedback was emotional, it was generous, it was touching.
Before and after the film, audience members painted ceramic butterflies which have since been mounted on a memorial wall in the museum. Cheryl and Jan have hoped that a film about The Butterfly Project would expand awareness and lead to more groups joining the project and creating their own permanent installations. Based on the first audience’s response, I think that wish is already coming true.
Cheryl and I are immensely grateful to Ms. Geft and her staff, who went all out to make sure that everything was just right for the screening in the museum’s beautiful Peltz Theatre.
Please visit The Butterfly Project website and add your support. There’s still a long way to go toward the goal of 1.5 million ceramic butterflies in installations around the world in memory of the 1.5 million Jewish children murdered in the Holocaust.