The Strength and Agility of Insects

synopsis

Seen under magnification, insects lift and move objects many times their own body weight. Smith stages these small feats as a series of strongman and acrobatic acts. The film combines natural history demonstration with variety spectacle, directing our admiration towards creatures that we usually overlook.

biography

F. Percy Smith (1880–1945) was a British pioneer of natural history filmmaking. Using macro photography, time-lapse, animation and studio equipment of his own design, he revealed processes hidden from the human eye. He turned plant growth and the behaviour of small creatures into both scientific observation and a source of wonder.

film details

director:

F. Percy Smith