Black Butterflies

As the moon casts its silvery glow upon the seaside shack where Ingrid and Anna Jonker reside with their elderly grandmother, the sisters are jolted awake by a frantic Anna, who rushes into their bedroom to deliver the devastating news that their grandmother has succumbed to her final breath. As the family's grief-stricken patriarch, Abraham Jonker (Rutger Hauer), arrives on the scene, he is taken aback by the girls' lack of footwear, prompting Anna to query his identity and receive the forthright response, "Call me 'Pa.'"

Fast-forwarding through the decades, Ingrid, now a grown woman, finds herself struggling against the relentless current in the Cape Town suburb of Clifton. Her cries for help are answered by Jack Cope (Liam Cunningham), a literary luminary who plunges into the waves to rescue her from the clutches of the unforgiving sea. As they emerge onto the shore, Ingrid reveals her admiration for his novel, which she confesses had saved her life. The novelist is taken aback by her words, only to discover that he is speaking with none other than the renowned poet, Ingrid Jonker.

As fate would have it, Abraham Jonker arrives at this inopportune moment, bearing news that Ingrid's estranged husband, Pieter Venter, has requested a ride to their humble abode. Ingrid rebuffs her former partner's overtures, opting instead to join Jack and his bohemian circle of friends for an evening of revelry and intellectual pursuits. However, the festivities are marred by the presence of a disheartened black writer, whose unpublished novel has been banned by the Censorship Board and confiscated by the authorities.

As the night wears on, Ingrid finds herself entwined in a series of events that lead her to Jack's flat, where she is introduced to his two young children and learns of his impending divorce. Amidst this backdrop of turmoil, Ingrid shares with Jack a poem she had written in tribute to him, its words striking a chord deep within the novelist's soul. As they grow closer, their mutual passion ignites, and the stage is set for a tumultuous affair that will be forever intertwined with the tumultuous politics of the time.

As the days unfold, Jack's ardor for Ingrid reaches a fever pitch, prompting him to extend an invitation for her and her daughter to take up residence with him. With her acceptance, their lives become increasingly intertwined, but a chasm opens when Jack reveals his reluctance to formalize their union through marriage. Despite Ingrid's continued creative endeavors, Jack eventually confesses that supporting her emotional needs has left him feeling drained and devoid of inspiration. He decides to embark on a two- or three-month sojourn to visit his sons and their mother, intending to finally complete his novel. Though he promises to return, the prospect of being apart for such an extended period fills Ingrid with distress, prompting her to beg him not to depart. She quits her job to bid him farewell at the train station, where she implores him to reconsider or allow her to accompany him. Jack's departure leaves a gaping void in their lives.

As the days tick by, Jack's prolonged absence takes its toll on Ingrid, who finds solace in the company of novelist Eugene Maritz (Eugene Maritz), an ardent admirer of her poetry. Amidst the anguish and loneliness brought on by Jack's distance, Ingrid's passion for life and art is rekindled as she begins a torrid affair with Maritz, whose literary prowess has earned him acclaim from poet and playwright Uys Krige, who hails him as the future of Afrikaans literature.

Jack's return finds him confronting the uninvited presence of Maritz's shoes in their home, and his fury is such that he banishes Ingrid from their lives. Against this backdrop of turmoil, Ingrid and Jack bear witness to a tragic event: the police shooting of a young black child, an act that fills them both with profound sorrow and revulsion.

This shared experience sparks Ingrid's creative energy, leading her to pen her most iconic poem, Die Kind, which immortalizes the fallen child as a martyr and subtly foretells the eventual downfall of Apartheid. Meanwhile, Abraham Jonker is portrayed as a ruthless patriarch who withholds validation and affection from his daughter, while also condemning her poetry and friendships with dissident writers whose work he seeks to suppress. When Ingrid asks Abraham to read her poem Die Kind, he tears it apart, his disapproval and disdain palpable.

As the complexities of Ingrid's psyche unfolded, her tumultuous relationships with her father and the two men who loved her - Jack (actor name) and Eugene - conspired to plunge her into a profound depression and psychosis. The consequences of this downward spiral were severe: she found herself institutionalized at Valkenberg Hospital, where Jack's visits provided a glimmer of hope amidst the turmoil. It was during one such visit that Ingrid revealed to him the deeply personal secret she had kept hidden - the termination of their unborn child. Her decision not to share this truth with Jack was rooted in her conviction that he would have married her solely out of duty, rather than genuine affection.

As Ingrid's mental state continued its downward trajectory, she found solace in the poems that had always been a source of comfort. Although the hospital had taken possession of her written works, she still retained them in her mind, and it was this inner reservoir of creativity that Jack discovered when he stumbled upon a pocketbook full of her poetry among her belongings. This serendipitous find sparked a collaborative effort between Jack and poet Uys Krige to compile Ingrid's verses into the celebrated collection "Rook an Ochre" ("Smoke and Ochre"). The book's publication was met with widespread acclaim, earning it a nomination for the prestigious APB Award.

Ingrid's newfound literary success afforded her the opportunity to travel to Europe for the first time. However, this milestone was tempered by a painful confrontation with her father at his workplace, where she shared the news of her book's acceptance and asked him to join her on her European odyssey. Abraham's response was predictably vitriolic, as he revealed that he had initially sought to suppress Ingrid's work but was dissuaded by the fear of scandal. The depth of his disdain for his daughter was staggering, as he hurled the cruel epithet "slut" at her.

In the aftermath of this crushing blow, Ingrid turned to Jack in a moment of vulnerability, asking him to accompany her to Europe. However, he was forced to decline, citing government restrictions on his travel due to his political beliefs. Eugene, by contrast, accepted her invitation, only to discover that she was still carrying a torch for Jack. His discovery led him to renounce their relationship and depart for South Africa earlier than planned.

Ingrid's emotional turmoil culminated in a desperate act of self-destruction while hospitalized in Paris. The hospital authorities contacted her father, securing his permission for the administration of electroconvulsive shock therapy. In the aftermath of this ordeal, Ingrid returned to Cape Town, where she had lost all creative spark and the ability to smile.

One fateful evening, Ingrid made a poignant gesture by presenting Jack with her AFB medal and a Walt Whitman poem as a testament to her enduring love for him. Although Jack implored her to return to his side, Ingrid chose instead to depart, ultimately taking her life by walking into the ocean. The devastating impact of this tragic event was evident in Jack's grief-stricken vigil, watching from a distance as her body was recovered.

As the cinematic narrative reaches its poignant conclusion, the lens pans out to reveal a serene expanse of sea and sky, serving as a fitting backdrop for the powerful words of Ingrid Jonker's poem, "Die Kind". The voice of Nelson Mandela (Nelson Mandela) booms forth, his deep tones resonating with solemnity as he recites the English translation, skillfully rendered by Jack Cope and Uys Krige. This stirring rendition is not merely a creative flourish, but rather a deliberate nod to history, as it is revealed that Mandela himself chose this very poem to be read aloud during his inaugural address to the South African Parliament, marking a momentous occasion in the nation's journey towards healing and reconciliation following the collapse of Apartheid. The cinematic frame thus becomes a poignant canvas upon which the triumphs of hope, redemption, and the human spirit are etched, as the words of Jonker's poem echo forth like a clarion call to unity and forgiveness.