Nocturnes

In the dead of night, against the enchanting forest backdrop of the Eastern Himalayas, a pair of nocturnal scientists illuminate a hidden, microscale world.

Co-directors Anirban Dutta and Anupama Srinivasan’s wondrously visceral film follows two biologists working at the border of India and Bhutan, as they meticulously map the forest’s population of hawk moths. Each night they hang illuminated ‘moth screens’ – the only source of light penetrating the thick woodland darkness – which draw hundreds of the elusive insect out of the night and into view. As the film unfolds, a richer picture of this creature and its scientific significance also emerges. Eschewing all preconceptions of the nature documentary for lingering, dream-like visuals and an immersive soundscape, Dutta and Srinivasan immerse us fully in the world of this meditative work. The result is a captivating, multi-sensory experience – one that instils a wonder and appreciation for the hyper-small.