science

Birth, mating and death under the microscope – that's the life cycle of fruitflies, the laboratory insects at the Centre for Animal Behaviour Research. With fascination and ironic detachment, this portrait of laboratory routine conveys how scientists dissect members of another species in the belief of their own superiority. White-robed gods deconstruct the living into the inanimate, turning organisms into numbers, categories and definitions, unaware that they themselves are captives of a giant human insectarium with its own collective behaviour, hierarchy and culture.

When documentary filmmaker Sophie Benoot had a kidney stone removed, she was astonished to discover that it contained a mineral found mainly in Antarctica. So she set out to find out how the foreign substance came to be in her body. It took the form of a playful polemic against the conventions of natural history documentaries. The narrator's voice, audible outside the picture, accompanies us during expeditions to different parts of the world, during which new layers of rocks and our history are uncovered. A wide-ranging reflection on the interconnectedness of the human and non-human shows that the ability to appreciate the wonders of the universe is perhaps more important than solving all mysteries. “I thought portraying our relation with stone could be a way to address certain ecological questions. Stone symbolizes a certain tradition of relating to nature that I inherited as well, living in the European West.” — Sofie Benoot

Matěj and Zuzana Dolinay are a married couple who are devoted to zoology. Through their YouTube channel, Living Zoology, they aim to introduce the general public to animals that are often marginalised and don't have the best reputation with the public. This includes mambas, one of the most venomous genera of snakes, which Matěj and Zuzana set out to find in Togo, Africa. The different stages of their expedition and work with the deadly reptiles gradually reveal characteristics similar to the basic pillars of a healthy partnership. The adventure documentary Figures is not only a testament to how educational popular video content can be created today, but above all highlights the authenticity of a journey through nature, partnership and life.“Figures is a heartfelt adventure that is gripping for the wildlife enthusiast and romantics alike. It is a testament to love – love for wildlife, love for education, and love between two passionate individuals. At its core, this film is a real life, behind the scenes look into how professional wildlife filmmakers get the job done.”Source: https://figuresfilm.com/about

What is life? asks Max Kestner in the introduction to his expansive reflection on the greatest mysteries of the universe. He looks for answers that would shed light on why we exist at all in philosophy, biology and quantum physics. In addition to his curiosity, he is guided by an incident from Copenhagen Zoo that took place 10 years ago. At the time, its director had a healthy giraffe killed because it was no longer needed as part of an international breeding program. The fact that so many people around the world have expressed sympathy for the “unnecessary” animal suggests that we share much more with the world around us, including invisible microbes, than we admit, according to Kestner. “I could have made a story about how media works and how it [the story] exploded in the media but to me it was the scientific and philosophical questions that I felt were there at the time, but weren’t really answered.” — Max Kestner