Don't
Robin Lehman (American b. 1936) directed the poetic nature film Don’t, which follows the monarch butterfly’s journey of transformation and flight. Winner of numerous awards, including a 1975 Oscar® for best documentary short film, Don’t brings viewers into the drama of the butterfly’s tiny world with astonishing detail. Each phase of butterfly metamorphosis is captured with stunning macrocinematography—from egg to caterpillar and chrysalis to adult—along with encounters with other creatures, ranging from a menacing praying mantis to a curious raccoon. As the mature butterfly takes flight, the drama intensifies as it navigates the hazards of an urban environment.
Forgoing the documentary convention of voice-over narration, Don’t applies adept visual storytelling to deliver a powerful ecological statement. The film’s prophetic message resonates today as 2026 data from the Center for Biological Diversity shows that the eastern monarch butterfly population has reached a crisis point with an estimated 80 percent decline in the eastern US since the 1990s.
In a June 2026 conversation at his home near Rochester, NY, Lehman recalled some details about the production: “I did a lot of filming in New York City. I rented a house and we raised the monarchs. We had hundreds of caterpillars and monarchs ready to perform their magic.” While the scenario for Don’t was written “within a day,” obtaining the seemingly spontaneous images of butterfly movements was a long process. Lehman mentioned that up to thirty butterflies per week were filmed and released into the wild during the production. To obtain the highest practical image quality, Lehman filmed with 35mm format motion picture film stock, and capturing the perfect shot required, in Lehman’s words, “a lot” of film. The results are an all-time classic film about environmental conservation.
This presentation from the George Eastman Museum collections uses high-definition digital transfers derived from the original 35mm master elements directly overseen by Robin Lehman.
Don’t (Robin Lehman, US 1974, 18 min., 35mm film to HD digital) is screening on a loop during museum hours.