Rosie Day is the star of new black and white movie Butterfly Kisses, which delves deep into the controversial and political subject of paedophilia. Turning the traditional coming of age drama on its head, Day stars alongside a young, up and coming British cast which includes Theo Stevenson and Thomas Turgoose.

Rosie Day as Zara in Butterfly Kisses

Rosie Day as Zara in Butterfly Kisses

We got the chance to put some quick questions to Rosie Day to find out a little bit more about the movie, her role, inspirations and more! Read on to find out what she had to say…

For those unfamiliar with the premise behind your new movie, what can you tell us about Butterfly Kisses and the character you play?

Butterfly Kisses is a film about the moment you go from being a kid to an adult; the realisation that the world is a much darker place than you originally thought and the discoveries that you make about yourself and the people around you. It follows a boy on a South London estate and his very dark secret about himself. I play his love interest Zara, who’s very lost and alone, trying to care for her two younger sisters with no money and no parental influence.

The movie touches on some incredibly sensitive topics; did you feel a sense of responsibility with this film that you may not have done with previous work?

I think we every job I do, I always want to make it as realistic and rooted in truth as I can, as naturalism I think is really important on film. But with this, it was a frowned-upon topic that we knew would probably come under fire from some people, so I think we all really wanted to make a very truthful film, so if anyone criticised it we could say, ‘but this is what happens in teenagers’ lives’.

Were you told about the movie being shot entirely in black and white and why was that decision made? Can you tell us about your own feelings around that?

We knew from the start it was being shot in black and white, in this special format that no one had used before; I think it adds to the grittiness and the feeling that you’re looking back into someone’s life, as the film is quite reflective. I thought it was a great idea as I’d never made anything without colour before, and there are some wonderful films out there where it really adds to the overall effect.

This is director Rafael Kapelinski’s feature debut; how was Rafael to work with?

Raf was amazing! It couldn’t have been easy wrangling a bunch of teenagers on a council estate in the freezing cold winter but he did so effortlessly. He always knew exactly what he wanted but would add things as he went along, so that every take was a bit different. He also let us improvise which was great, so we all really felt like we were living our characters.

Credit: Nick Cooke
Credit: Nick Cooke

Aside from Butterfly Kisses, you also recently starred on TV series Outlander; what was that experience like?

Outlander is just the best show to work on; the set, the scripts, the costumes; it’s like being transported to a whole new world. Caitriona Balfe is amazing to act with and every day was a lot of fun.

And you also starred alongside Sarah Jessica Parker in All Roads Lead to Rome; what can you tell us about that experience?

It was three months in Rome with SJP, Italian food and glorious weather. Her and I have a really special bond and she’s just a truly amazing woman. It was all very surreal but I had the time of my life.

Are there any shows or movie franchises you’d love to be a part of in the future?

I’d love to do something like The Hunger Games as I’m a massive fan of young adult films with strong female leads. But at the same time I love independent cinema. I grew up watching Andrea Arnold and Danny Boyle films so that’s probably my first love. TV-wise, I’d love to work for Netflix as their original content is incredible.

Where do you draw inspiration and influence from when you’re performing?

I do a lot of thinking about the character, kind of how they would think, how they would live and then it kind of just happens if I’m honest. If there’s research to be done, I always do lots as I love delving into books and Google! I take a lot of inspiration from other actors; people like Andrea Riseborough, Ruth Wilson, Suranne Jones, Billie Piper; they all really inspire me. I love actors that are versatile as that’s my main aim in life.

Finally, is there anything else you have coming up in the next few months you can share some details about?

I’m in Stephanie Meyer’s (Twilight) new movie Down A Dark Hall with Uma Thurman; that’s out this year. It was an amazing American film to be a part of! I’m also in Prime Suspect: 1973, which starts on ITV in the spring!

Butterfly Kisses held its world premiere this past weekend at the Berlin Film Festival.


by for www.femalefirst.co.uk
find me on and follow me on