Beetle Queen Conquers Tokyo
dir. Jessica Oreck, Japan/USA , 2009, 56 mins
Screening times
May 15 12:30, Kinoteka 1
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Synopsis

In this country, beetles are foreign-looking armored things to be feared, avoided, stepped on, or otherwise destroyed. In Japan, it's just the opposite. Beetles are collected and respected, to the point where a single specimen recently sold for $90,000. Live beetles are even sold in vending machines. First-time filmmaker Jessica Oreck explores Japan's fascination in a way that combines both science and art. Eschewing talking heads for more poetic inspiration, she captures the beetle obsession from the inside out using images, interviews, poetic musings, literary quotations, video games, and a boy who wants to buy a new beetle for his collection. As the movie progresses, we start to see the world from the insect's point of view, and what a beautiful world it is. Traffic cops at night mirror the lightning bugs behind them. Crowds walking down the street with umbrellas are protected from the rain by hard shells of fabric. It's a fascinating bug's-eye view of a fascinating culture.

D.P.

Wybrane nagrody i festiwale /Selected festivals and awards: 2009 - Festiwal Filmowy Wschodni Oregon/Eastern Oregon Film Festival, 2010 - Specjalna Nagroda Jury Cinevegas/ Cinevegas Special Jury Award, 2010 - Cinema Eye Spotight Award

Makers

Zdjęcia/Cinematography by: Sean Williams
Produkcja /Production: Myriapod Productions

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Ciekawy film, szkoda tylko, że został pokazany w skróconej wersji (por. tailer). (Juliasiewiczowa)