Black Butterflies

Ingrid and her sister Anna reside in a seaside shack with their elderly grandmother. One night, Anna notices their grandmother is not breathing and alerts Ingrid, leading to the grandmother's body being carried away in a hearse. This marks the beginning of their life without their parents and a childhood marked by loss.

Decades later, in 1960, adult Ingrid nearly drowns while swimming at Clifton Beach, but a man onshore, Jack Cope, dives in to save her. She recognizes Jack as the novelist and poet, praising his work as life-saving and forming an immediate connection. Jack introduces himself, marking the start of their relationship.

Ingrid's father, Abraham Jonker, a politician and Chair of the Censorship Board, informs her that her estranged husband Pieter Venter is waiting for her. Their strained relationship reflects her familial struggles and societal pressures from her father’s racist policies.

Ingrid attends a party with Jack and other literary figures, where she discusses censorship issues. They grow emotionally close, and Ingrid shows Jack a poem she wrote in his honor, confessing that his novel saved her life, leading to their romantic involvement despite her recent separation from Pieter.

Jack proposes they move in together, but refuses to marry her. Despite ongoing struggles, Ingrid continues her writing, and their relationship deepens. Jack then plans to leave for a few months, which causes Ingrid distress, leading her to secretly have an abortion.

Jack leaves to finish his novel, promising to return, but Ingrid feels abandoned and becomes emotionally distraught. She becomes pregnant again and, out of loneliness and anger, seduces Eugene Maritz, a fellow novelist, which causes tension when Jack returns.

During a tense scene, police shoot at a car, killing a black child, intensifying Ingrid’s political awareness. This event inspires her powerful poem, 'Die Kind', which symbolizes martyrdom and hints at the eventual end of Apartheid. Her poetry begins to reflect her activism.

Ingrid's father opposes her anti-Apartheid stance and sees her friendships with dissident writers as threats to his regime. Her personal struggles lead to depression and psychosis, resulting in her being committed to Valkenberg Hospital, where she receives treatment and continues to write in her mind.

While hospitalized, Ingrid’s poems are confiscated but remain in her memory. Jack and Uys Krige compile her writings into the poetry book 'Rook an Ochre,' which is published to critical acclaim, establishing her reputation as a significant poet and earning her international recognition.

Ingrid visits Europe, including Paris, where she undergoes an abortion and mental health treatment. She faces rejection from her father and struggles with her emotional state, reflecting her ongoing battle with her inner demons and societal pressures.

Returning to Cape Town, Ingrid becomes unable to write or smile. She visits Jack, presents him with her medal and a poem, then leaves to take her own life by walking into the ocean. Her death signifies her tragic struggle with love, politics, and mental health.

The film concludes with Nelson Mandela reading Ingrid Jonker’s poem 'Die Kind' during his first speech as South African President after Apartheid, highlighting her enduring legacy as a voice of resistance and hope for South Africa.