Maybe the snail sex scene went too far?
I have another report from campus, this time about a wildlife documentary assigned to my “Ecomedia” class. I’m happy to report no mass killing or gruesome hunt scenes (filmmakers sure do like action) but simply insect life in meadows and ponds somewhere in France, with incredible close-ups, slow motion, and time-lapse photography. Released in 1996, Microcosmos was a multiple prize winner at the French Academy of Cinema Awards and is revered by film studies professors (like mine) to this day.
Here are some highlights, some class reaction, and the actual film you can watch for free. I highly recommend it!
The bee-on-flower action was my favorite scene.
Mosquito emerging from its pupa. (I think.)
Now imagine all these caterpillars in motion.
Watching this dung beetle push a ball of dung uphill was surprisingly affecting; several students expressed strong identification with the “insect protagonist.” 
Now I wouldn’t have guessed that today’s 20-year-olds would be squeamish about sex but then I saw them watching snails do it – to an operatic score, no less. Student expressions of “discomfort” (the professor’s term) included “Like something I feel I shouldn’t be watching” and “Intrusive,” while some students had less visceral reactions, like comparing and contrasting the documentary style with that of Disney.
No need to analyze, though – just click this image and discover which scenes blow YOUR mind.
College Class Watches “Microcosmos” Insect Documentary. Students React. originally appeared on GardenRant on May 4, 2024.
The post College Class Watches “Microcosmos” Insect Documentary. Students React. appeared first on GardenRant.
