# Event Details - **Event Name**: Movies' at Mechanics Presents: M Butterfly (1993) - **Event Start and End Date**: Fri, 30 Jan, 2026 at 06:00 pm – Fri, 30 Jan, 2026 at 08:30 pm - **Event Description**: Join us for this meaningful film, as we celebrate cinematic theatrical representation all through January at Movies at Mechanics'!About this EventA French diplomat falls for a beautiful Chinese opera singer in 1960s China. But is this relationship really what it seems? Starring Jeremy Irons, and based on David Henry Hwang’s Pulitzer Prize-winning drama, M Butterfly challenges our assumptions, cultural biases, and the very nature of love itself.M Butterfly is based on the real-life romance between diplomat Bernard Boursicot and Shi Pei Pu. Playwright David Henry Hwang saw the literary potential in the true events, and used Puccini’s opera Madama Butterfly as a framework for a retelling of the story, interweaving themes of gender fluidity and Western cultural hegemony.It became a significant work in the theatre canon of the 1980s, spawning numerous theatrical revivals as well as this film version directed by David Cronenberg. Hwang himself wrote the screenplay, but Cronenberg made the film his own–excising scenes that he felt wouldn’t go over well with audiences, and scenes that he personally disliked. Cronenberg invested a great deal in the film, engrossing himself in research for historical and cultural accuracy. It became his most expensive production to date. Thousands of extras were cast in the film to play Chinese guards and performers on the operatic stage, and the costume designer (Cronenberg’s sister Denise) designed 5,979 costumes.In spite of this painstaking work, the film failed to make a profit at the box office. But its importance reawakens in 2025, as we reckon with diversities in gender expression and cultural assumptions.Movies at Mechanics' has welcomed film enthusiasts for classic cinema screenings and salons on Friday evenings for over 20 years. Join us for fresh popcorn, lively discourse, and your favorite films the first three Fridays of the month. Hosted by Lara Gabrielle, film writer and author of Captain of Her Soul: The Life of Marion Davies.Join us as we close out January's film screenings at the Institute with a classic. Stay tuned for February!Members: $5Non-Members: $10 - **Event URL**: https://allevents.in/san-francisco/movies-at-mechanics-presents-m-butterfly-1993/100001712480197369 - **Event Categories**: entertainment, art, literary-art, performances, theatre, music - **Interested Audience**: - total_interested_count: 0 ## Ticket Details - **Ticket Price Range**: min: 7.18, max: 12.51, currency: USD ## Event venue details - **city**: San Francisco - **state**: CA - **country**: United States - **location**: Mechanics' Institute - **lat**: 37.7888616 - **long**: -122.4029759 - **full address**: Mechanics' Institute, 57 Post Street, San Francisco, United States ## Event gallery - **Alt text**: Movies' at Mechanics Presents: M Butterfly (1993) - **Image URL**: https://cdn-az.allevents.in/events7/banners/1df26123284b94f04f21c55d16b7654a7eb36e7bf7b5bc6c6f1acbc758c6abb1-rimg-w1200-h600-dc2d1806-gmir.jpg?v=1766246494 ## FAQs - **Q**: When and where is Movies' at Mechanics Presents: M Butterfly (1993) being held? - **A:** Movies' at Mechanics Presents: M Butterfly (1993) takes place on Fri, 30 Jan, 2026 at 06:00 pm to Fri, 30 Jan, 2026 at 08:30 pm at Mechanics' Institute, 57 Post Street, San Francisco, United States. - **Q**: How much do tickets cost for Movies' at Mechanics Presents: M Butterfly (1993)? - **A:** Ticket prices for Movies' at Mechanics Presents: M Butterfly (1993) range from USD 7 to USD 13 depending on the ticket type. Here's a full breakdown of available ticket types:Ticket TypePriceAvailabilityNon-Member/PublicUSD 13 + USD 3 feeAvailableMechanics' Institute MemberUSD 7 + USD 2 feeAvailable - **Q**: Who is organizing Movies' at Mechanics Presents: M Butterfly (1993)? - **A:** Movies' at Mechanics Presents: M Butterfly (1993) is organized by Mechanics' Institute. - **Q**: Who is this event for? Is it right for me? - **A:** Movies' at Mechanics Presents: M Butterfly (1993) is ideal for music lovers, fans of all genres, and anyone who wants to celebrate the power of music - from intimate gigs and live sessions to festivals and cultural performances. Whether you're a first-time attendee or a longtime enthusiast in San Francisco, this event is thoughtfully curated to deliver a standout experience worth every moment. If Movies' at Mechanics Presents: M Butterfly (1993) sounds like your kind of event, don't wait - spots fill up fast. ## Structured Data (JSON-LD) ```json [ { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "Event", "name": "Movies' at Mechanics Presents: M Butterfly (1993)", "image": "https://cdn-az.allevents.in/events7/banners/1df26123284b94f04f21c55d16b7654a7eb36e7bf7b5bc6c6f1acbc758c6abb1-rimg-w1200-h600-dc2d1806-gmir.jpg?v=1766246494", "startDate": "2026-01-30", "endDate": "2026-01-30", "url": "https://allevents.in/san-francisco/movies-at-mechanics-presents-m-butterfly-1993/100001712480197369", "location": { "@type": "Place", "name": "Mechanics' Institute", "address": { "@type": "PostalAddress", "streetAddress": "57 Post Street", "postalCode": "94104", "addressLocality": "San Francisco", "addressRegion": "CA", "addressCountry": "US" }, "geo": { "@type": "GeoCoordinates", "latitude": "37.7888616", "longitude": "-122.4029759" } }, "eventAttendanceMode": "https://schema.org/OfflineEventAttendanceMode", "description": "Join us for this meaningful film, as we celebrate cinematic theatrical representation all through January at Movies at Mechanics'!", "offers": [ { "@type": "AggregateOffer", "availability": "https://schema.org/InStock", "priceCurrency": "USD", "availabilityStarts": "2026-04-06", "availabilityEnds": "2026-01-30", "validFrom": "2026-04-06", "lowPrice": "7.18", "highPrice": "12.51", "price": "7.18", "url": "https://allevents.in/san-francisco/movies-at-mechanics-presents-m-butterfly-1993/100001712480197369" }, { "@type": "Offer", "availability": "https://schema.org/InStock", "priceCurrency": "USD", "availabilityStarts": "2026-04-06", "availabilityEnds": "", "validFrom": "2026-04-06", "url": "https://allevents.in/san-francisco/movies-at-mechanics-presents-m-butterfly-1993/100001712480197369", "price": "12.51", "name": "Non-Member/Public" }, { "@type": "Offer", "availability": "https://schema.org/InStock", "priceCurrency": "USD", "availabilityStarts": "2026-04-06", "availabilityEnds": "", "validFrom": "2026-04-06", "url": "https://allevents.in/san-francisco/movies-at-mechanics-presents-m-butterfly-1993/100001712480197369", "price": "7.18", "name": "Mechanics' Institute Member" } ], "organizer": [ { "@type": "Organization", "name": "Mechanics Institute", "url": "https://allevents.in/org/mechanics-institute/22515500", "description": "The Mechanics' Institute Library and Chess Room is a historic membership library, cultural event center, and chess club located in the Financial District of San Francisco, California at 57 Post Street. 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